# Navigating the Storm - URL: https://alisanburak.com/en/firtinada-yol-almak - Language: en - Last updated: 2026-08-15 - Page title: Navigating the Storm | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alişan Burak Yaşar > Navigating the Storm Brief and Effective Suggestions for Psychological Distress Triggered by the COVID-19 Pandemic Dr. Ahmet Nalbant & Dr. K.Fatih Yavu This page was translated automatically from Turkish. [Read the original](https://alisanburak.com/firtinada-yol-almak) [← Back to blog](https://alisanburak.com/en/blog) # Navigating the Storm July 22, 2020Recommendations Navigating the Storm Brief and Effective Suggestions for Psychological Distress Triggered by the COVID-19 Pandemic Dr. Ahmet Nalbant & Dr. K.Fatih Yavuz Things are serious… Perhaps more than ever before. In the period ahead, we may lose those closest to us, our loved ones, or become ill ourselves. Many things may no longer be as they were. At least for a while... In such a challenging situation, any of us may lose our way and feel swept away in a storm. Feelings such as fear, unhappiness, hopelessness, and helplessness, arising from uncertainty about the pandemic and the possibility of something happening to our loved ones, may start to overwhelm us. Although millions of people around the world are experiencing some or all of the above at the same time, this does not mean we are destined to be swept away by the storm. In the following pages, you will find some suggestions that may help you pick up your journey where you left off whenever you feel you have strayed from your path or lost your way during this difficult period. Notice Your Experiences When we begin to be swept away by a storm, the first thing to do is notice that we are being swept away and hold firmly onto something! When we encounter things that are not going well in life, our bodies respond in various ways. We can group these responses into emotions, thoughts, urges, images, and physical symptoms. Our past experiences tell us that we may experience: fear of uncertainty and the possibility of losing loved ones, helplessness related to being unable to do anything, hopelessness about things not going well, unhappiness about what is happening and our losses, and irritability when we feel overwhelmed by the intensity of all of these. When we begin to be swept away by a storm, the first thing to do is notice that we are being swept away and hold firmly onto something! When we are anxious and alarmed, it is often difficult to notice that we are being swept away. To help you recognize this, please answer the questions below. When you experience the things you have marked, you can recognize that you are in a storm. Which thoughts and feelings have been particularly distressing for me over the past week? (Please mark the relevant items and add your own) a. Helplessness b. Hopelessness c. Fear d. Anxiety e. Unhappiness f. Distress g. Thoughts such as “What will happen now?” h. Thoughts such as “What should I do?” ı. Palpitations i. Tension j. Hot flashes k. The urge to check social media/watch TV l. The urge to eat something m. ………….. Find Something to Hold Onto Being swept away by a storm can mean being drawn into the emotions, thoughts, bodily sensations, and urges described above, and beginning to make intense efforts to get rid of them or reduce their intensity. It can also mean becoming caught up in particular thoughts. If you find yourself in a moment like this and notice that you have become disconnected from the present, the following exercise will help you find something to hold onto. How can I anchor myself when I am being swept away by a storm? First, take a deep breath and slow down a little as you breathe out. Right now, you may feel as though you are traveling along a foggy road. When fog surrounds you, the best thing you can do to find your way may be to listen if you cannot see, to smell if you cannot hear, or to touch if you cannot smell. Now, as you breathe in and out slowly, notice any scent in the air you breathe in, if there is one. If there is a taste in your mouth, notice it. Now turn your attention to what is happening around you. Notice the loudest sound, the most colorful object, and the ground beneath your feet. Notice three objects where you are. As you do this, your emotions and thoughts may try to pull you away from the present moment at every turn. If this happens, please notice their efforts and broaden your attention to what is happening outside your body, as described above. You may need to repeat this a few times! Being swept away by a storm does not mean you are doing nothing at that moment. Most of us are struggling or making an effort during these times. Sometimes, to avoid feeling the discomfort of the storm, we turn to things that offer temporary relief. Now let us look at all these things we do… Coping with Difficult Emotions If we take a closer look at the emotions this period brings up in us, we can see that none of them are things we would enjoy experiencing: helplessness, hopelessness, regret, unhappiness, fear! We spend a significant part of our daily lives trying not to experience these emotions, or trying to keep them under control. For example, we sleep, spend time on social media, get caught up in the news, eat, and so on. But just as we cannot control the storm, we cannot control our emotions at will! In fact, the efforts we make to control them may make things worse. Imagine someone trying to stop a storm instead of moving to a safe place… This can leave you feeling even more helpless. Fortunately, the story does not end here! There are other things we can do to cope with emotions: just as we can carry on living without trying to stop the storm, we can allow our emotions to exist, make room for them within us, and return to our lives. Of course, this is easier said than done. The following exercise includes some methods to help us make room for difficult emotions and continue on our way with them. If you feel overwhelmed by a difficult emotion such as anxiety, fear, or sadness, and these emotions have taken control of your behavior, follow these steps: a. First, take a deep breath and slow down a little as you breathe out b. Identify the emotion you are experiencing right now (Is it fear, anxiety, helplessness, or unhappiness? If you cannot identify it, give it a simple name that will help you recognize it later) c. Notice where you feel the emotion most intensely in your body, and draw around it as though you were holding a pencil (as if tracing the outline of a shape) d. Imagine this emotion as an object (a stone, a rock, a cloud of gas, a book, etc.) e. As you do this, notice any urges to get rid of the emotion that are likely to arise. f. Allow your emotion to remain where it is in your body, just as your organs do g. As you learned above, broaden your attention toward the outside world while continuing to include this emotion 4 (this is not about distracting yourself; it is about broadening your attention, like turning on the lights in different rooms of a house). h. At that moment, take action toward what matters to you (this will be discussed in more detail below). Learning to Observe Thoughts As human beings, we have thoughts. This is one of the most important things that makes us who we are. However, the way we relate to our thoughts can sometimes create problems for us. Let us look at how this happens together. Who is in control? Many thoughts come into our minds throughout the day. Often, we do not even notice them. But especially during a storm, our thoughts may try to control us. It is like hearing warning announcements over loudspeakers during a storm, telling you what you should and should not do. At such a moment, we hand control over to the person operating the loudspeaker… In our current situation, the loudspeakers in our minds may also offer useful advice about COVID-19. The problem arises, however, when we forget that this advice consists of sounds coming from loudspeakers (our minds): when we treat our thoughts as reality, we begin either to do everything they suggest (e.g., immediately rush to social media or TV to follow news about the pandemic) or to cover our ears when they announce catastrophes (e.g., watch TV series, eat, seek reassuring words from those around us, and so on). If you look carefully, you will see that none of these thoughts are entirely wrong or right. It is therefore understandable that we sometimes treat these thoughts as absolute truths and hand control over to them. However, these situations mark moments when we are more likely to stray from our path in life. You can therefore try the following methods to help you get back on track. Looking at thoughts Notice the thoughts that distress, frighten, or worry you, and write them down below. • ………………………………………………………………………… • ………………………………………………………………………… • ………………………………………………………………………… • ………………………………………………………………………… Now write these thoughts down again below, but this time write them wItH a MiX oF uPpErCaSe AnD lOwErCaSe LeTtErS. This may feel a little strange! Our aim is to develop our psychological skills so that, when the loudspeaker in our mind takes over, we can recognize it as a loudspeaker broadcasting about COVID-19 and regain control of our behavior. This exercise will make it easier to observe the thoughts in our minds. • ………………………………………………………………………… • ………………………………………………………………………… • ………………………………………………………………………… • ………………………………………………………………………… You can also practice this in other ways throughout the day. For example, if you notice that you are starting to be swept away when you do not have a pen and paper with you, you can say to yourself, “The COVID-19 loudspeakers have started talking again!” Even repeating the thought that comes to mind in a mechanical loudspeaker voice may have a similar effect. Remember, the aim here is not to get rid of thoughts, but rather to reduce their influence on our lives—that is, on our behavior. Getting Back on Track You may feel lost on a dark road amid lightning and storms, struggling to move forward. You have learned a few easy-to-use methods that show you how to move forward with your emotions and thoughts at such moments, without being swept away by the storm. Now we will focus on how to find our direction in life again. The most important thing we need to return to the path we lost in the storm is to recognize our purposes in walking the path of life. What we mean here goes beyond daily goals: these are the principles we hold deep in our hearts that make our lives meaningful or enrich them. We can think of our purposes as the paths we walk from the beginning to the end of our lives. Spend some time on the section below to discover or remember them. Helpful Understanding Respectful Dedicated Honest Willing to share Hardworking Curious Independent Eager to learn Loving Open-minded Fair Ethical Altruistic Attentive Caring Free Innovative Pioneering Warm Creative ............. ............. ............. Now we would like you to answer this question: Imagine that the pandemic is over and you are being interviewed about it. This interview will be part of a documentary featuring inspiring stories about how people lived during the pandemic. You will be asked what you did in the areas of life that matter to you and how you treated other people during this period. Our question is: What answers would you like to be giving about yourself in this documentary? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Whenever you notice that you have lost your way or strayed from your path in the storm, please remember your answers above and take action as described in the next section. Taking Action In the midst of this storm, the only thing we can control is our own behavior. What will matter at the end of the day is what we have done and the direction in which we have acted. Above, you noted which paths you would like to follow. Now we would like you to identify what you can do, in line with your chosen principles, to m a k e a d i f f e r e n c e i n y o u r d a i l y l i f e during these difficult days. On the following page, you will find a template to help you put this into practice. Please complete this table only according to your own principles. My Current Situation Things I have started doing more during the pandemic than before (please mark the relevant items and add your own) Things I have started doing less during the pandemic than before (please mark the relevant items and add your own) Spending too much time on social media Personal care Spending too much time on the phone Things I need to do for my career Turning excessively to TV series, films, and games to distract myself Preparations r e l a t e d t o my future plans Trying not to think Reading books Sleeping too much Spending time on my hobbies Eating too much Things I do for personal development Constantly thinking about what will happen My social and civic responsibilities What I Will Do in Line with My Purposes Important Areas of My Life My Purposes Action Plan Friendship Showing appreciation Say hello to 1 friend every day through a communication channel Health Improving my health Exercise for 5 minutes every day My hobbies Creating new things Spend 10 minutes once a day on my hobby Faith Worship Pray once a day Continuing the Journey Our journey is long. We do not know how long this storm will last or what we will encounter along the way. Many things will pull us off course. At the end of this period, what will matter most is how much we have lived in line with our purposes, or how much we have let ourselves be swept away by the storm. One useful exercise for noticing this difference is to record what you have done in line with your purposes every day, or a s o f t e n a s p o s s i b l e. The form below will help you do this. Date What I did in line with my purposes What I did when swept away by the storm Example: 01.04.2020 Read for 15 minutes, exercise, help my family, ….. Sleep, spend too much time on social media, …. During these difficult days, when the COVID-19 pandemic is bringing up challenging emotions and thoughts in all of us, we hope we have helped open the door to changes for you, however small. We wish you health and days filled with meaning… Source: Bağlamsalbilimler.org [← Previous EMDR During the Pandemic](https://alisanburak.com/en/pandemi-doneminde-emdr)[Next → Relaxation Techniques](https://alisanburak.com/en/gesveme-teknikleri) --- Kaynak / Source: https://alisanburak.com/en/firtinada-yol-almak İletişim / Contact: Bağdat Caddesi, Veli Güneysu Apt. No:453 K:4 D:9, Suadiye / Kadıköy, İstanbul · +90 532 642 95 25 · info@alisanburak.com · https://alisanburak.com/bagdat-caddesi-psikoterapi-iletisim