Life is not normal for most of us right now in the midst of Covid-19. Our daily routines look much different than we're used to experiencing. Even many weeks into this new normal, there's often still a sense of "what's going on" or "what's next" that we're feeling and anticipating. It can be hard to remain engaged in life, work, parenting, marriage, friendships and relationships when life feels unsettled. We can feel a bit foggy-headed or distant from others but also distant from ourselves and our emotions. Some have pushed pause on real life for a while, hoping to re-engage when everything goes back to normal. But what if normal looks different for much longer than we'd want or hope or think it will? There are small steps we can take to stay engaged in life around us while life feels chaotic and unclear. You can check in with yourself each day for just a minute or two and ask yourself how you're feeling. Are you feeling worried or concerned? Are you feeling unclear or off kilter? Are you scared or sad? Do you have feelings of anger or loss? Sit with those feelings for just a few minutes, perhaps even write them down. "I feel (insert feeling word) because (insert thought connected to that feeling)." This can help increase self-awareness and self-connectedness. It can also be a bit grounding and give us some release. Is there someone around you - physically or virtually - that you could tell about one of those feelings? This can really help to stay engaged in relationships during Covid-19. There are times though in circumstances like this where we need to disengage, particularly from the news or social media, so that we can feel some mental and physical rest. Too much stimulation from information and screens tends to keep emotions heightened and can contribute to unhealthy disengagement. If you need a break or to escape for a bit, intentionally choose to disengage and intentionally choose something healthy. Go for a walk, look at a magazine, read a fiction book, play outside, cook, draw or color. These things help us disengage from some of the overwhelming experiences we're going through in a healthy way. We often zone out to TV, social media, food or other things that aren't healthy options for our bodies or minds but these actually keep emotions bottled up rather than being processed or released in healthy ways. Counseling can be a great place to help you process what things you turn to for disengagement and why you choose those things. Therapy can also help you identify healthy ways to distract or relax your body and mind during a time of upheaval like we're experiencing now. Counseling can be great support to explore the feelings you're going through during this pandemic. Many therapists are offering individual counseling and marriage therapy over Telehealth (also called Telemental Health or Distance Counseling). Telemental Health is a great way to learn how to engage with what you're feeling and engage in your relationships. Distance Counseling can help you identify healthy times and intentional ways to appropriately disengage in order to find some rest and replenishment.