Getting Through Another Pandemic Holiday Season

Just as we’re heading into the busiest part of the holiday season, another variant of COVID-19 is threatening to worsen the pandemic. It could also worsen the grief that many of us have been dealing with.

The pandemic has become part of all of us. For most people, COVID-19 has taken loved ones, opportunities, or lifestyles. In the U.S., the last 20 months have also been rocked by almost constant broadcasts of political unrest like the January 6th Capitol insurrection, demonstrations for racial equity, and racially-charged court cases.

But please, don’t give up. Deal with your grief and overwhelm this holiday season by doing things like acknowledging your feelings, including fear, and reducing your stress levels with self-care activities.

I’ve never seen so much fear, and as a Black man I find it especially troubling. The careless disregard for black people’s lives has taken a toll on me, and I’m sure people like me, who are simply living as a Black person in America. We work, love our family members, study, speak up when we feel we’ve been wronged, and go jogging. And it can get us killed. The feeling of security as a Person of Color is hard to come by.

But we must all be aware of the emotional toll this point in history may be taking on us. When we’re aware, we can work through our grief in a healthy way. Everyone may need a “reboot” to help cope with our present situation. I’m a security professional, but I know from personal and professional experience that your emotional health can severely impact you and your success if you don’t reboot.

I talked about some of the ways I’ve dealt with challenges on “The Gatekeeper” episode of the Grace 4 Purpose Podcast, which will be available after 11:00 a.m. ET today.

I also share ways I have dealt with trying times, including my cancer treatment, in videos on the Leumas Publishing YouTube Channel and in my book Rent-A-Cop Reboot.

Choose to take care of yourself today. Why? Because you can have a better tomorrow, and today’s decisions affect your tomorrows.