How are you doing with the news of the spreading COVID-19 virus?  

Have you checked?  Really checked within yourself to see what is happening in your mind, emotions, body, communications, and behavior?

It’s important to realize that your propensity to deal with stressful events is wired within your beliefs, behavior, and general response style. 

If you are a fearful person, you’re likely to experience greater fear now.  If you are an angry person, you may get riled up about the way the media, government, or your neighbor are handling the outbreak.  If you are a calm person, your response will include sturdiness and the intent to return to a calm center. If you’re avoidant, you may have gone full ostrich by now.

If you’re not looking within yourself, you are missing something vital to your wellbeing.  

“Who am I in relation to this current situation?”  This helpful question, offered by the spiritual teacher Thomas Huebl, points you within yourself.  Within your own style of responding.  It encourages you to own your response at all levels of your experience.

This self-assessment offers you valuable information and a map to a calmer, sturdier way of being. 

Imagine if you checked in with yourself and found you were anxious.  Afraid of where the outbreak would appear next. Nervous about going out.  Worried about your family and friends.  Preoccupied with watching the news and talking about what occurred today.  Spreading the updates about who was impacted and how. 

This response is totally understandable and even social encouraged at this time.  Yet, is it helpful?

Sure, it can be a bit helpful if it has you practicing good hygiene, avoiding crowded places, and eating well.  And it can be a lot harmful if you are preoccupied with this fearful news and speculation while flooding your body with cortisol and other stress hormones.  Not taking action to change this response – or getting help from others to guide you – will leave you in an anxious loop, wreaking havoc on your body-mind (and your immune system).

[Check out last week’s blog, Breathing Through It, to understand the debilitating effects of persistent stress and how to intervene.]

We live in an interconnected, interdependent world.

This has always been the case, but it is now experienced differently with the benefit of airplanes, international business, the internet, and social media. Everything affects everything.  Even if you don’t notice it.   

Everyone has a contribution to make here.  What’s yours?  

Eavesdropping on your own conversations is a powerful way to gather intel on how you are reacting to events.  How often does the topic of the virus come up in conversations and what is the flavor of that dialogue? Don’t miss your internal chatter as that is where the scary stories unfold rather quickly. 

With this knowledge, you can map a plan to navigate your internal response to external events.

You know the basic hygiene.  You know the state of your own health.  

I’m wiping down everything at Soul Sanctuary a lot.  It has never been cleaner.  (Plus I’m working some Light and Energy magic ’cause that clears the fear and negativity.)

I’m washing my hands in hot water and singing Happy Birthday twice as recommended. I’m gonna learn the words to the Macarena soon cause it’ll be more fun and I can wiggle my hips as I wash. 

And I’m supporting those who need to stay away from crowds and make wise choices due to health concerns.  All while encouraging them not to repeat the oft told story of how old folks or sick folks are really at risk.  Your stories have power.  Choose them well and encourage others to do the same.

Turn off the news. Fear and stress are contagious.

Television is hypnotic. Leaving you more susceptible to the type of information that flows to you. The media knows this. 

Ask yourself: Are news stations broadcasting calming, empowering strategies to care well for yourself and your neighbor? Or are they promoting fear, drama, and doom?  Why call this a deadly virus when 98% of people recover?  It scares you, hooks you, and keeps you watching.