Mental Mechanics: Tips to Manage These Uncertain Times

Well, this is certainly new and unexpected. How could we have ever expected the current global situation? Life is usually pretty straightforward and easy. We tend to make it harder than it has to be. I have more experience with helping individuals deal with unimaginable adversities than I could have ever imagined. There are some basic things to consider. If we keep a calm head, do the simple things right, and look out for one another, we can get through all of this together…

Don’t Panic – No matter what is happening around us, staying calm is an important thing to remember in any moment of extreme adversity. It allows us to act accordingly and not react purely from emotion. 

Leave Ego Out of It – Unless we can approach this pandemic as an opportunity to understand ourselves and our journey a bit better, our egos will take over and limit our ability to move forward. None of us is as good as ALL of us.  

Practice Basic Hygiene – Right now, this virus is mostly lifestyle based. It isn’t in the air or the water. Practicing basic hygiene (washing hands, not touching our faces, isolating ourselves from others) is a key to managing it. It seems funny to tell adults to wash there hands, but I know I am guilty of not doing it as well as I should.

Be a Good Human – Again, this seems like a no brainer. However, when we face adversity, we tend to narrow our focus to only ourselves. Now more than ever, it will pay huge dividends to just be a good person and to help others in any way we can. We will all need one another before this is over.

Don’t Get Caught in Narratives – Getting caught up in false narratives is something we do exceptionally well. This is especially true during times like this. The ‘What ifs’ tend to pull our attention away from objective truths. Be aware of your thinking, and the stories you are allowing yourself to tell. 

Eat Well/Stay Active – Self Care is critical to making it through adverse times. We tend to focus so much on what is going on externally that we overlook our own well being. Remember, stress impacts our immune system, which is the last thing we need right now. 

Avoid Crowds – It sucks that sports were canceled and that we can’t go to the movies or our favorite restaurants. I can’t sugarcoat that fact. This situation is bigger than celebrities, or sports…this can potentially impact the future of our species. We just need to use common sense and remember that this will be temporary if we do the right things.

Don’t Panic-Yeah…It is THAT important. We can do this if we do it together.

With Much Love and Well Wishes

Mark