If you would like help to apply Mindfulness to your personal situation or circumstance, drop me an email on: juliet@mindfulnessconsultant.co.uk or send me a message on Facebook.com/JoyArises
Q. How can Mindfulness help during a pandemic?
A. These two simple methods will help keep you calm and effective in whatever circumstance you find yourself.
1. Notice when you have a ‘WHAT IF’ thought.
So much of the factual information that we read and see on the news and social media is clouded by unnecessary negativity and drama. It’s human nature to do this so there’s no judgment in that statement, but it does cause us to worry. When we hear that something will or might happen, our thoughts are naturally drawn to the future and the ‘what if’ questions.
“What if I don’t get paid?”
“What if my parents become ill?”
“What if we run out of food/water/fuel?”
We have these thoughts as a coping mechanism…
‘If I think about this potential problem, I will solve it and survive.’
Unfortunately trying to solve emotional problems rarely works by simply thinking about them. It leads to rumination which can develop into depression.
We do have to plan ahead and be practical but we can also learn the difference between practical planning and dwelling on worrying thoughts.
How do you do that? By noticing how you are feeling.
If you start to feel a bit of a stomach ache, a little neck or shoulder tension, heart beating slightly faster, then these are signs of fear and anxiety. You can control these.
Whenever you feel this way, it will probably have been caused by a thought you had. Thoughts create feelings and feelings energise our thoughts. At that point, say to yourself, (and I quote author, Susan Jeffers, here):
“WHATEVER HAPPENS, I WILL HANDLE IT!”
As Jeffers also wrote in her ‘Feel the Fear’ books, you have handled everything in your life so far and you will handle this.
When you feel fear or anxiety rising up within you, say this phrase, it will help you. You don’t have to believe it. Your mind and body will calm itself whether you believe it or not. We’re strange creatures, us humans.
When asked what his secret was, J. Krishnamurti, a Philosopher and Spiritual Teacher, said
“I don’t mind what happens“.
It sounds ludicrous to say, “I don’t mind what happens” during a pandemic but it doesn’t mean we don’t care. It’s deeper than that.
It means that we accept that what’s happening IS happening and we do what we have to do to deal with it. Without negativity, drama or unnecessary panic, which cause far more problems than the virus itself.
So, when you have a ‘what if’ thought, stop mid thought and say to yourself or out loud: “Whatever happens, I WILL handle it.”
2. Focus your attention entirely on what you’re doing NOW and KEEP doing that, over and over again.
There are SO many things to think about and although thinking ‘happens’ to us, we can still learn to control where our attention goes. Currently, it is drawn to thoughts of what we have heard or read on the LATEST NEWS posts and bulletins or to what everyone else is doing in response to this news.
Would it be irresponsible to stop thinking about it all the time?
No. Not if these thoughts fuel your anxiety and fear.
Do we have a choice when it comes to HOW we think about it?
Yes. To some people, a pandemic is potentially the end of the world, whereas, to others, it’s an opportunity to think differently and behave more compassionately, so who is right? There is a situation to consider and act on but how we choose to think, react and respond is entirely our choice. That choice will determine how you feel.
Does our mental health matter as much when there is a threat to our physical health?
Of course, more than ever. So, the way to keep yourself calm and focused is to stay fully aware of this moment and what needs doing… now. When your mind races forward to later with another ‘What if?’ – BRING IT BACK to what you’re doing NOW. You are surrounded by sights and sounds that can help draw you out of your mind and back into the present – the mug in your hand, the wind outside, the face of your child, music playing, the dog’s tail wagging…
“But my circumstances are horrendous, you have no idea what I am going through!” I hear you say.
No. I don’t. But I do know that if you can focus your attention on what you have to do at this moment, it will not seem as bad as if you were to think about everything that might happen in the future.
You can stop for one moment and be aware that right now you are alive – that’s one good thing to focus on. You might even have food. A warm home. That’s three positive things already.
I phoned my mum today to check that she was okay. “I’m a bit bored, but fine”, she said. We worry about the elderly, understandably, but many of my mother’s generation are well and quite happy to be pottering at home. They can teach us a thing or two about acceptance and positivity.
I just read on Facebook that someone suggested that children send notes and pictures to the elderly in their homes.. this really is a time of great change and one of those changes seems to be a dramatic increase in compassion for others.
So, you may not be able to calm what is going on around you but you can calm yourself until this storm passes (I believe Buddha said this).
Just remember these two tips to keep you on an even keel:
1. Notice when you have a ‘WHAT IF’ thought, stop, and say, “Whatever happens, I’ll handle it.”
2. Focus your attention entirely on what you’re doing NOW and KEEP doing that, over and over again.
Never has there been a time to appreciate each moment of your life, doing the simplest of things. For me, it will be a cup of tea and dark chocolate on the sofa. The mind will try to persuade us to project into the future and consider worse case scenarios but it’s not helpful. Stay present. Do what you need to do and take things one moment at a time. That’s manageable.
YOU CAN DO THIS!
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!!
Please share this with a friend if you think it will be helpful to them at this time.
If you would like help to apply Mindfulness to your personal situation or circumstance, drop me an email on: juliet@mindfulnessconsultant.co.uk or send me a message on Facebook.com/JoyArises