The reopening across the United States is another adjustment in a long line of adjustments we’ve made throughout this Pandemic and may be triggering its own set of conflicting emotions, swinging from excitement to relief, to fear and back again.

In Volume 7 of this guest series, Psychotherapist, Dr. Francis L. Battisti, and Nutritionist, Dr. Helen Battisti help us regain our equilibrium and access our strength.

For over 10 years, they have worked closely with us on aging concerns and have presented many webinars and in-person workshops.Their newsletter, The Zone, is a weekly mental health and nutrition tip sheet during times of change.

As the United States begins the process of reopening in response to the Pandemic, we can experience this with a variety of emotions. This spectrum of emotions may run between excitement, to relief, to fear and back again. A possible result of this kaleidoscope of emotions is to lead us into a state of ambivalence and repeatedly stating, “Yes, but…” During a state of ambivalence, we are continually weighing the pros and cons of the situation while trying to reach a sense of personal balance.

If a state of balance is not reached, we can become stuck, something often referred to as analysis paralysis. The result of being in a state of analysis paralysis will move us away from personal resilience and the ability to access our strengths, leaving us feeling stuck with no personal choices.

The good news is that with reflection, we can tap into the storehouse of our strengths and move beyond our ambivalence.

Key Takeaways

• The process of the United States opening in response to the Pandemic will cause a new host of emotional experiences.
• This spectrum of emotions can produce ambivalence.
• The good news is that when we tap into our strengths, we can move beyond the state of ambivalence.

Best Practices

• Continue your quest for personal strengths.
• Assess the risks of old behaviors and the potential benefits of new behaviors.
• Continue to nourish your mind-body-soul with nutrient dense foods and fluids, quality sleep, physical movement and spiritual practices.

Things to Limit

• Saying, “Yes, but.”
• Minimizing our ability to change.
• Discounting our emotional state.
• Minimizing the influence of the mind-body-soul connection.

In closing, facing the future can be a daunting task. However, if we allow ourselves to remain stuck and wait for the results, we will feel that we have nothing to contribute and lose hope. Identifying our hopes and aspirations for the future offers the strong possibility that we will create the future we want.

Quote of the Week 

“In these times I don’t, in a manner of speaking, know what I want; perhaps I don’t want what I know and want what I don’t know.” – Marsilio Ficino

The paraDocs are Dr. Francis L. Battisti, PhD, Psychotherapist, Distinguished Psychology Professor and former Executive V.P. and Chief Academic Officer and, Dr. Helen E. Battisti, PhD. Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist.

We have developed The ZONE, because that is exactly where you want to be during this pandemic. A place of focused attention to doing exactly what needs to be done to get you to where you need to be. The purpose of The Zone is to provide a weekly mental-health and nutrition tip-sheet during times of change.

If you would like to subscribe to The Zone, please email info@avilainstitute.org and we will get you on the mailing list.