With Covid-19, the world has rapidly become more uncertain, more frenzied and more restricted. Fear and worry are pervasive and contagious. Having a reasonable amount of anxiety is protective. Excessive anxiety is painful and costly and not enough anxiety puts us at risk. Fear becomes a virus when it is out of proportion to what is happening or not helpful. We can be clear about threats, have agency AND do so without an inordinate amount of fear.
There are many reactions to uncertainty. We might try to control more. Move into competition mode where it's a me or them mentality. We might feel overwhelmed or paralyzed. Our hearts close. Generally, most of us are not at our best when we operate from fight, flight or freeze states.
On the flip side, uncertainty can also bring out the best in us. We can acknowledge this is bigger than us. That we are all in this together. We can innovate, collaborate and show compassion to ourselves and each other. Our hearts can stay open.
Often we approach uncertain situations and ask,
"What can I control?" Not to say that this isn't useful, but because it comes from a place of gripping tightly, it often results in a very rigid, egocentric state. Think...people hoarding toilet paper.
Changing that question to
"What can I choose?" opens the door for creativity, connection and a sense of wellbeing. It's thinking from a responsive state rather than a reactive one. Responsive states facilitate generosity, flexibility and composure.
Suddenly we're needing to adapt to a new way of living for an indeterminate amount of time. It's a great time to give yourself permission to attune and attend to yourself. Taking care of yourself in small, consistent ways allows for more capacity to meet what's happening with calm strength.
This is an opportune time to slow down and focus on a self-care habit. It takes 14-21 days to get a habit to stick. Research shows that if you choose 1 goal, you have an 85% chance for success. That number goes down when you try to change too many things at once. Making progress, moving forward, engaging in something positive for your health, all provide agency. Agency in a time of uncertainty results in resilience.
This period will pass. When you look back, how do you want to feel about how you handled it? What positive attribute, change or behavior could be present that wasn't before?
Here a few ideas:
- Sleep- Try adding 30-60 minutes more daily.
- Breathe- In for count of 4-5 and out for count of 4-5 for 3 breaths, several times a day. Focus on the breath and relaxing your jaw and shoulders on the exhale.
- Nutrition- Try eating slower at each meal. This helps us to eat less, but feel more satisfied and recognize when we are hungry and when we are full. Start by adding 2 minutes to each meal. Take sips of water or set your utensils down between bites. Try removing distractions such as TV which contributes to mindless eating.
- Movement- Get outside each day, notice nature. It has a way of showing us that life continues.
- Engage your brain- Learn about something new or in more detail
- Play-Dust off your guitar or piano, play music, dance, play a board game, the possibilities are endless...
Try An Experiment:
- Get curious...what could be good about this time?
- Pick an area that you have been wanting to improve
- Brainstorm one simple habit or behavioral change you could make
- Be specific on the steps
- Determine a metric to use for assessing progress
- Do you have the information you need?
- On a scale of 1-10 are you at least an 8 for feeling confident?
- If you're not, how can you make it easier?
- How can you make it fun?
- Begin today
