Experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic has challenged humanity in various ways. We have been facing thoughts and emotions that we have struggled to manage effectivelyusing methods which we would usually resort to.
Emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, frustration, isolation, feeling powerless and difficulty to focus and make decisions have increased in frequency and intensity. This has led to exacerbation of physical and mental health difficulties, as well as experiences of new challenges when coping with new stressful situations. This is true both for adults and for children alike. Children were faced with uncertainty within their educational setting, isolation from peersand family members, and often witness stressful situations within in their home environment. Skills they used for socializing, learning, managing time and hobbies and some self-regulating methods have become redundant and they had to learn new skills and strategies in short periods of time, and often whilst facing crises.
The other side of the coin of such a challenging situation as facing a pandemic is building of resilience, the ability to face adversity and bounce back up. It is in this process of adaptation that resilience can be developed, learning of new coping skills and building meaningful connections that add meaning and significance to life. Children could require support from adults to facilitate the process of learning new coping skills and adaptation. Finally, Covid-19 has brought to the fore realizations that taught us how we are all hard wired for human connection which can be preserved as we collectively care for each other even if this comes at a price worth investing.
