Counting blessings only goes so far, because alongside gratitude there is real loss. Sometimes we just have to grieve. This pandemic has brought us all tremendous loss. Some days we are just going to have to feel sorrow.

Grief (and sorrow, fear, and anxiety) are like quicksand and will pull you in if you struggle against these feelings or try to ignore them. Feeling bad about feeling sad only makes matters worse.

Instead, we need to acknowledge these feelings, let them be, and try to float on top of them until we can move onto firmer ground emotionally. We need to remind ourselves that none of these feelings last forever. Your brain will grab at any lifeline it can and pull you out if you simply give it a chance.