After living through a global pandemic for 17 months, we are all - frankly - over it. That's why the Be Well Community gathered for an honest conversation about chronic anxiety, survival modes and polarization.
We know these things to be true:
- We are all exhausted, burned out and grieving.
- We often want to talk about anything other than the pandemic, the Delta variant, masking or the vaccine. However, we remain at risk in the midst of a surge of the Delta variant that is changing what we knew and how we were navigating just months ago.
- We know we have vaccines and ages 12 and up can get vaccinated.
- We also know it's just not that simple and that many of us, medically, are not candidates for the vaccines or for masking.
- We know that some of us are still on the fence about it all and some of us just haven't found the time to digest it all.
Our lived experiences matter and are all valid. We know that those of us who are against vaccines and masking are just as human and passionate as those of us who are begging for higher vaccination rates and more masking, those of us on the fence, and those of us who just haven't had a chance to get the vaccine. We all deserve a skillful space to engage and, hopefully, feel some relief and energy to move forward. The bottom line is, most of us have felt shamed and ridiculed at some point during this pandemic. When that happens, our survival states kick in and we experience polarization. We could be led to root ourselves even deeper into our beliefs. Then no progress happens and polarization grows. We remain stagnant in our polarization. Hope lives and movement is possible only through healing connection, compassionate listening, curiosity, self-care, and effective healing.
We may all be hurting. We may all be uncomfortable. We may all be scared, but it is critical that we all remain mindful of each other, navigate with grace and continue fueling hope.
The Be Well Community submitted anonymous answers to thought-provoking questions during the live segment:
- How are you misunderstood?
- What do you fear?
- What questions do you have?
- What hopes do you have?
See some of those answers below and take a moment to pause and reflect on your experiences with the prolonged pandemic.
The Be Well Community’s goal is to create space to continue the conversation about health and safety, the health and safety of each other and the best possibility for our future. Find out more about the Be Well Community at:
About the Be Well Initiatives
The Be Well Initiatives were established in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic for Burrell Behavioral Health employees to connect and experience community while working from home and navigating the uncertainty of the coronavirus. That effort was expanded to Facebook Live to allow access for all people. Through intentional self-care and connection, the Be Well Community brings brain science to life to help everyone experience hope and healing.
About Burrell Behavioral Health:
Burrell Behavioral Health is one of the largest community behavioral health providers in the nation, working with more than 40,000 clients in 8 counties in Arkansas and 17 counties in Missouri. Burrell has more than 400 licensed providers offering a full continuum of care through our integrated network. Services include individual therapy and counseling, addiction recovery, psychiatric and medication management, educational and therapeutic groups, crisis intervention, medication-assisted treatment, adult stabilization, case management, residential treatment, autism, diagnostic testing and evaluations and developmental disability support. Learn more about Burrell’s programs and services at www.burrellcenter.com and www.burrellcenter.com/arkansas.