Nearly half a year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the anxiety and fear that were so much a part of the early days of the crisis are still very much with us. People face fear of the spread of the disease as well as anxiety regarding continued job losses. And, those deemed essential workers are faced with going to work every day, fearing that they might contract the virus. But, in addition to anxiety and fear, emotions like depression, grief, hopelessness, and resignation have also crept in, particularly as more people have lost loved ones to the virus. The pandemic has impacted the very fabric of our society. Most of the focus understandably has been on physical health. But, this can mean that other elements of wellness may be overlooked—especially psychological wellness. In the midst of all of this tragedy and uncertainty, how can we best cope? Is it still possible to find anything like emotional well-being, let alone happiness or hope? Host David B. Feldman interviews Emiliana Simon-Thomas, PhD, Science Director of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center about practices we can use to care for our emotional selves more than half-a-year into the worst year in most people’s memories.
