Schizo Mind During the Time of Corona

Life in a general sense is already fraught with complex choices, situations, players, uncertainties, and information. Life is already difficult, even before World wide shutdowns and pandemic safety measures. Sprinkle in being a single dad, legally can't be near children's mother, still paying bills on place I don't live, unemployed, and living with schizoaffective disorder. Everyone has coped very differently during these dark times. How did I survive this? How did most people deal with isolation? Here are a few things I've most focused on to stay mentally healthy.

During the Country wide shutdowns, telecommunications has hit a peak it hasn't seen in quite sometime. Zoom, Doxy, Streamyard, Teams, etc... have all but boomed during the initial shutdown connecting more people than ever. Now telecommunication is even more commonplace then it was a year ago. Movie studios and television shows constructed a way for every one to work remotely. It has changed the way movies are being produced. This concept bleeds into other situations and contexts. We must find new avenues to go down. New protocols, new tools, a new way. Hard to shake old habits and form new ones. There is nothing stopping us from growing and adapting, except for ourselves. So naturally I had to grow and adapt.

In adopting new ways and techniques , I have gained two therapists who I regularly use with telemedicine. This has changed the way I approached my mental health. Resistance came with change, though now I couldn't live without it. I also had to up my online presence and knowledge to survive new roles and changes. For me, it comes down to the focus. For awhile I had no drive, but also no focus. Having to set up and maintain new and existing bank and medical accounts, has helped focus my brain and keep my body moving. A blessing in disguise, no more procrastinating. It only took me 35 years to get motivated. This motivation has kept me alive and relatively well during the pandemic.

Hospitalizations are no new trend for me.I was hospitalized right before the pandemic. The circumstances were grim. I was stuck in a mental health facility for drinking on my meds, grandmother died while I was away. Luckily I got out in time. The fact that I've survived this long during the pandemic is surprising. Why have I not cracked yet? Or have I and I don't know it? With having children there are no luxuries when it comes to whether or not you're bored or never having a chance to rest. Considering everything in 2020, I haven't done too shabby. This year I was faced with living in a toxic relationship with my twin girls mother. It has always been rocky, but losing my job, staying unemployed, and not seeking mental health help finally did me in. We both did what we could. Now I have moved on for peace of mind. My health and sanity are very important too me. Yes my kids are important, but if I'm not well, they won't be well. Or worse, they will be taken from me. Now don't freak out. I am a great father. I do have my limitations though. If I don't take my meds then I slip. If I drink, I slip. If I exhibit erratic or disorganized thinking, I've more than slipped. I've managed thus far. Perhaps luckily.

Meditations can be overwhelming to some people. Turn a walk into a meditation. Be mindful of your surroundings. What do you hear? What do you see? You will hear and see more things then you might on a regular occasion. Walking is such a simple concept yet it helped pull me out of several rusty ruts. I get trapped inside my mind. Playback scenarios over and over. Walking helps keep the focus on the present moment. I have found many ways to implement meditation and mindfulness practices into everyday life. Walking is a meditation. So, I treat it as such. Spiritual journey. A mind resetting and re-calibration.

Not everyone will be keen to to walk and travel. Traditional meditation is always an important factor in strengthening ones mind, body, and spirit. Meditation is also not an unobtainable thing as so many beginners believe.You must first build the muscle in order to flex it. I've tried so many ways of keeping my brain safe. Our brains are more resilient than we think. Though that is sometimes undermined by our minds being our own worst enemy. This has proved difficult for me during these times. This is my normal reality so I had built muscle memory.

Using sites and platforms like Facebook, Vocal, and Hitrecord have not only kept my boredom from flourishing, but I have thrived during this time. These have been amazing tools and opportunities on these sites. One also has to mention Youtube for supplying original content, but content on desired interests. Having these videos and projects to work on, I had no room to collapse into myself any longer.

We all cope differently during these times. I'd love to hear from people. What got them through that dark time? Do they still maintain this newfound skill, project, sense of being, sense of focus? If you were looking for organized thinking. This is not the place. Good intentions maybe.Well, I live with schizoaffective disorder. I create to live.