In the Midst of a Crisis, a State of Calm is Best Defense.
Let’s face it, hearing “don’t panic” but seeing increasing death tolls, stock market collapses, and maps illustrating rapidly spreading infections is a recipe for…PANIC.
With conflicting messages from the President, down to social media and trying to guess what is true and what is not, only seems to make the panic worse. However, remaining in a state of panic will not only continue to manifest more panic, but also lowers your immune system, actually making you more susceptible to illness. The very thing you’re panicked about in the first place.
But how do you stay calm in this climate of constant change and chaos and how will that help???
This is the first of my 5-part blog series: Keep Calm & Carry On. The next 5 blogs will offer simple techniques to help overcome stress and anxiety, as well as ways to stay in action. Please follow my blog so you don’t miss any of them!
When we are calm, our thinking is clear and we are capable of making better and more informed decisions. Have you ever tried to make a sound decision while a fire alarm is going off, or your child was screaming at the top of his/her lungs? It’s near impossible. As your heart pounds in an intensity that seems to be coming through your chest, your mind races, screeching around corners of the brain for data. Often unable to retrieve a single solution, you believe there are no solutions.
When I first began training on my road bike, I came upon a pot hole and wondered if my bike could safely roll over it, since there was no way around it. I felt panic and fear as I flipped off my bike and thought, how will I get to my feet? I distinctly remember being on the ground and thinking I needed to get up but couldn’t. My legs were not injured but my brain seemed unable to send the message to my legs. I knew I needed to stand and get out of the street, yet I couldn’t access that simple solution. It wasn’t until someone pulled over and said, ‘can you get up?’ that I was able to stand.
That is the power of panic. Moments that leave us feeling helpless, hopeless and powerless.
And while there are many things not within our power as the Coronavirus swirls around, we can’t afford to stand in a space of hopelessness, waiting to get sick. Instead, we need to turn off the sirens around us, access quiet and reach for reasonable strategies. Our minds can handle problems. But not problems without solutions.
Quick Ways to Take Action Now
· Limit your media exposure.
Outside of taking reasonable precautions to protect yourself and your family, Coronavirus-related stress can be managed in part by setting parameters around the information you receive on the topic. “Too much exposure, especially from sketchy sources, can make consumers overestimate threat and underestimate their coping abilities, which is a recipe for anxiety,” according to Julie Pike, a clinical psychologist in Chapel Hill, NC. If you have a routine for turning on the news as soon as your eyes open, then keep it running in the background all day, there will be no way to escape the noise. Maybe choose 2 or 3 times a day when you turn on the news, and only when you can balance it out with self-care immediately following. Get the information you feel you need, limit the time, then choose to move to a place where you can actively do something good for yourself. A long walk, meditation, journal, a call to a family member…
· Stay Connected.
Remembering that while we can only do our part, the understanding that we are all in this together can help. If you are feeling anxious, lean on your family and friends. Feeling connected and supported is good for the immune system, even if you need to do so virtually. Consider calling someone that might need your help, or someone who is not highly elevated on the topic to help distract your own thoughts. They are yours after all, and you can choose to create different ones. Positive distractions will help!
Prolonged panic and fear can literally make you sick. So why not try to access a state of calm? If we can do it for just one moment, it might be just enough to get us through each moment.