World 21 million Pakistan 280K+ Bangladesh 270K+
It’s only taken five days for the world to record an additional one million cases of COVID-19. So many people across the globe are in a dire situation. At this rate there will be more than 40 million by the end of the year.
Many here in Victoria are feeling stressed with daily numbers in the hundreds, but can you imagine the grief, anxiety, despair and depression being felt in places with thousands of people being infected daily? Or in Lebanon, in the wake of that massive explosion last week and the lack of basic facilities?
People everywhere are not only dealing with health concerns and the economic impacts of coronavirus, but normal daily problems are being amplified by this pandemic. Mental health is a major concern everywhere. Help is available. We all need to feel a sense of hope.
As infection rates start to come down here, people are feeling a bit more hopeful, but there are things we can do to enhance our sense of wellbeing.
Autosuggestion, relaxation techniques and meditation are very helpful, especially at times of stress. In my work as a hypnotherapist, I often used a mantra with clients which was first prescribed by French psychotherapist Emile Coue, ‘Every day in every way, I’m getting better and better.’ He advocated repeating this mantra 20 times, morning and night after waking and before sleep. It’s important not to force this message using conscious willpower, but just allow the mind to drift while you are repeating the words. Overnight there were 14 deaths and 372 more cases recorded in Victoria, up on yesterday, but still trending down. New Zealand’s outbreak now has a total of 30 cases with the source of infection still a mystery.