5 Pandemic Coping Strategies

by

Coping, being grateful, and celebrating life.

Written by Antoinette, Marie, Robin.

Surviving a pandemic has meant a lot more than not becoming infected with Covid-19, especially for those labelled/with an intellectual disability. Surviving has meant asking ourselves how to maintain relationships and stay connected to our communities while staying safely apart. It’s meant finding the balance between changing our scenery from time to time, and staying home to stay safe. 

Figure 1: Two women sitting on a couch in front of tv. Woman on left knitting looking down, wearing glasses. Cannot see mouth, eyes or nose. Woman on right looking towards woman on right. Can see eyebrows but no eyes, nose or mouth.
Figure 1: Two women sitting on a couch in front of tv. Woman on left knitting looking down, wearing glasses. Cannot see mouth, eyes or nose. Woman on right looking towards woman on right. Can see eyebrows but no eyes, nose or mouth.

One year into the pandemic, a Canadian Social Survey on loneliness painted a grim picture. Among people 15 years of age and older, 1 in 10 reported feelings of loneliness either often or all the time.  Nearly half of those with persistent feelings of loneliness (49%), also revealed mental health issues and low satisfaction in their lives (StatsCan, 2021).

Still, we have found ways to move forward in uncertain times.

There are 5 Coping Strategies that have helped us get through the pandemic, some of which have also helped us through us through difficult times in the past.

They are skills from the past that I learned about.

— Harold

5 Pandemic Coping Strategies

1. Maintain a routine.

Harold has kept himself driven by keeping his routine as consistent as possible. Throughout the pandemic, he continued working, delivering newspapers every Thursday and riding his motorcycle.

“I’m just happy doing it one day at a time, that’s the only way to do it,” he said, “I just let things come and go. They are skills from the past that I learned about.”

Figure 2: Man sitting at brown table. Can see his brown hair, eyebrows but no nose or mouth. He has newspapers and a tablet in front of him.
Figure 2: Man sitting at brown table. Can see his brown hair, eyebrows but no nose or mouth. He has newspapers and a tablet in front of him.

2. Get creative.

Doreen has been using the time alone to paint and write poetry. She isn’t the only one using creativity as self-care.

Antoinette has been crocheting and knitting. She said, “It (Covid-19) has made my life so damn hard but thank god I can be home to crochet and knit and do things like that.”

Pat has gotten creative by learning new recipes, which has proven useful in the absence of being able to go to her favourite restaurants.

Figure 3: Woman standing in front of grey table. Can see her brown hair in bun, eyebrows but no nose and mouth. She is hold in a wooden spoon and mixing large bowl of dough. Carton of milk beside bowl. Holding phone with left hand.
Figure 3: Woman standing in front of grey table. Can see her brown hair in bun, eyebrows but no nose and mouth. She is hold in a wooden spoon and mixing large bowl of dough. Carton of milk beside bowl. Holding phone with left hand.

3. Network

Doreen shared that networking is a survival skill that has helped her both in the past and present. She has been keeping her circle small but continues to see close friends. She also spends time connecting with people over the phone.

Palma and Antoinette have also found comfort spending more time with family. Antoinette said, “I am grateful to be with my sister.”

4. Advocate.

Participating in advocacy has also been helpful to members of DiStory’s working group. Marie and Antoinette have been working with another advocacy group to share their stories. They both have been enjoying the opportunity to speak about disability issues to a wider audience.

Kevin has also been very inspired to speak out and share the stories from his past. He told us that he wants to see change.

5. Reflect

Nick reminds himself of what he is grateful for, for instance at a time when so many are suffering with their health, he said “I am grateful to be alive.”

Pat has felt connected to her faith. She said,“I’m not afraid to talk about the lord any more.”

Palma has been enjoying having more time to focus inwards and reflect. She said,  “You get to learn things about yourself that you maybe didn’t know or things you thought you couldn’t do.”

Most of all I have learned to embrace life
and make use of the things I have,
not to worry about the things I don’t have.
I am celebrating not only being alive,
it’s the celebration of living life.
This is my celebration of life.

— Doreen

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021. Canadian Social Survey: Loneliness in Canada. Government of Canada. Date accessed: 29 March, 2022. Accessed at: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/211124/dq211124e-eng.htm

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