Comedian Chonda Pierce gets candid about depression, offers useful advice during lockdown
Bestselling female comedian Chonda Pierce has been keeping her audiences laughing on social media during the quarantine and shared with The Christian Post her advice for anyone who's suffering from depression.
“Mandated social-distancing, lockdowns and other life-altering changes caused by the coronavirus have folks stressed, depressed, and struggling with faith in God. People could use some laughs,” Pierce told The Christian Post in an interview. “Over the years, laughter has been good medicine that has helped me navigate personal pain, tragedy, grief and depression.”
In fact, according to a 15-year Nord-Trøndelag Health Study released in 2016, laughter decreases mortality rates on infection-related illnesses.
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While Pierce had to postpone her comedy tour to safeguard her fans' health during the COVID-19 crisis, she told CP that she’s keeping herself encouraged.
"I am blessed. If worst comes to worst, I'll sell my house and find a smaller spot. The good thing about growing up poor, you never forget being poor. So I've been poor before and I can be poor again if I have to. That's the silver lining of being poor. I know how to eat macaroni and cheese for a week. If I have to that's what we'll do, but I'm blessed that I won't have to,” she said of having to cancel her tour.
The recently widowed Pierce said her husband was really smart about putting money aside before his death and now she's following the tradition.
"While I'm OK. I try to do my best at helping those that are struggling and right now my heart goes out to the small business owners,” she said.
Pierce has been charitable during the quarantine and blessed people in her community by buying pizza for them from her favorite restaurant to help drive business to the pizza shop.
"My biggest sadness is there's going to be so many organizations and great restaurants and wonderful places [hurt financially], and this is gonna be a financial struggle for the whole world. Those are the scary things,” she continued.
Throughout the years, Pierce has been transparent about her struggle with depression and the fact that she takes medication for clinical depression.
“I'm blessed that the Lord has provided wonderful doctors for me and medicine and all that, but this is a time when Satan can use these days to just really play tricks on your mind,” she maintained.
“You'll feel like no one else is going through this. Well, to look on the bright side, the whole world is going through this. You're not alone down there. As much as the devil would like to trick you and make you think you're alone. The entire world is shut down.”
Remember that nobody's picking on you. Heaven is not picking on you, the whole world is going through this together,” Pierce stressed.
For those who might be suffering from depression during the coronavirus pandemic, the Christian comic shared her tips for coping.
"One of the things that I like to do — and I tell my friends who struggle with depression to do it all the time — and it's one of your best tools on the planet, is Post-it notes or just a piece of paper and a piece of tape,” she said before elaborating.
"Every time a good day comes to mind, a memory of a wonderful day [write it down]. Maybe it was a birthday party you had, or a job that you've got that you never dreamed you were going to get. Maybe it was the day you got married, maybe that was the most beautiful day of your life. Whatever those days are, you write a word or the description or the date down on a Post-it note and you put it on your fridge or your mirror, a place that you're gonna look often and you just start filling up that mirror with good days and good memories and good thoughts,” Pierce said.
"Before long you will step back and see this beautiful tapestry of what God's walked you through and all the fun things He's provided. If that has happened in the past, there's no reason to think He will stop doing that.”
Pierce said the point is to realize the patterns of one’s life and then use those memories as a weapon against the lies of the enemy.
“You can tell the devil, 'Look here, Look what God did for me in the last two years of my life. Look, what I walked through, look what I did.' And you will see the hand of God in your life. It just kind of kicks the devil in the gut,” she declared. “‘You know what devil, this is not gonna last forever 'cause look at how many days I had good days.’”
"We're always lamenting about the past that we cannot change. I like to think about the joyful days that I've had and think on those things. The Bible says whatsoever's pure, [and] good, think of these things. If that pattern is true for your life, it will be true again.”
Pierce believes that someday, overcoming COVID-19 will also be written on a Post-it note.
“Remember when we went through that virus thing, and we got through it?'" she illustrated.
The Kentucky native said the first this she’ll do once the lockdown is lifted is hug people.
"I'm a hugger. I love hugging. I don't shake people's hands, I'm hugging. I will say, for people that think that’s weird, the whole world will turn into huggers,” she joked.
Lastly, Pierce encouraged everyone to pursue positive things during this time.
"Be intentional; it's easy to find the bad news. Be intentional about looking for the good news. Be intentional about finding funny stuff. Let's be intentional about what we're filling our minds up with. It's OK to stay informed, but once you are, turn that TV off. Turn the news off," Pierce said.
Pierce continues to be active on Facebook Live providing laughter for her of fans.
