To say 2020 has sideswiped us all emotionally seems like an understatement; many if not all of us have been experiencing something akin to crisis. But feeling overwhelmed is totally normal. With a sensitivity to you, dear readers and listeners, I've been both listening rather than talking for awhile and then, when planning what to say, struggling with the right words. Being a content publisher and opening a podcast in these times means juggling content subjects and plans in order to be transparent, articulate, genuine, relevant and sensitive.
This podcast episode of Beretta Fleur Du Jour explores three of the main emotions we experience while in crisis; namely loneliness, anger and shame. Feeling overwhelmed by these emotions can cause us to shut down, leading to depression.
These emotions occur on a personal level, such as when experiencing personal trauma, struggles with health, death, financial trouble or career changes.
These emotions can also affect our society and humanity as a whole, triggering all of us to be in the throes of one, some or all of these emotions, at once, leading to volatile situations. The question is, can we see and use these emotions and experiences as a tool, to struggle forth on our journey and come out the other side?
I had actually planned this podcast episode several months ago before the pandemic. I was inspired by the events of the historic flooding of Hurricane Harvey in my town (and my neighborhood) several years ago, and with my background in crisis training with children, the overwhelming emotions experienced during crisis is something I've studied and witnessed first-hand. It is a discussion which I think is important, as I see people in every one of my communities (local, tribal and online) dealing with feelings of loneliness, anger, frustration and shame, and it is not in my nature to watch people struggle.
If you're struggling with feelings of loneliness, shame or anger during personal or societal crisis, I hope you will take a few minutes to have a listen, because you are not alone.
xo,
Beretta