If there is one thing, we can all agree on, it’s that this crisis has reminded us how unstable and vulnerable we are. Our emotions have been under tremendous stress, and we might even feel them all (Guilt, Shame, Fear, Anger, Envy, Joy, Gratitude, Love, Compassion or Kindness) in just one day.
Our external environment is challenging us, but we must also focus on maintaining a healthy inner, emotional environment. Now more than ever before, we should be motivated to learn from our emotions so that, by being vulnerable, we have the opportunity to use this crisis to grow, not to suffer.
We need to understand and believe that there are positive aspects in everything — nothing is entirely bad.
We may not be able to control what’s happening out in the world today, but we can handle what is happening within us. So, we must ask ourselves:
What can I do as a person to live better today?
How can I respond positively specific stimuli?
How can I impact my inner self positively?
How can I impact others for good?
How do we tart on this idea of becoming more resilient and less anxious?
- Let’s live with the intention to meet ourselves more often:
Start by breathing consciously, becoming more aware of your feelings and emotions and feel free to express them. Turn vulnerability into strength.
- Let’s portray ourselves as the protagonists, not the victims, or our own story:
The narrative of what we perceive is crucial to determining what we end up making our minds believe about our reality.
- Understand the we can’t do this alone:
We cannot succeed without each other’s help. The best results come whenever you play your best at the role you have chosen within a group in any given moment of time, not necessarily when you have the best individual performance overall.
Let’s keep in mind that what it is happening outside is NOT more important than what’s happening inside.
By keeping these 5 C’s in mind, you will be able to strengthen your mental health. yourself and grow resilient during these trying times.
Creativity: Whenever we become more vulnerable, we become more creative. Use the fear or stress you may be feeling to motivate you to become more resourceful and act to create new opportunities for yourselves and the ones you care about most. Create new dishes at home, find new ways to interact with your room mates, start a new podcast, learn a new hobby, etc.
Compassion: This is empathy in action. Remember: We cannot succeed without each other’s help. The best way to carry on from the current situation is to turn your energy outwards and use it to help others. If there’s one thing that makes us better, it’s our capacity for compassion, not competition.
Communication: Instead of talking about social distancing, let’s agree that we are practicing physical distancing. We need to urge ourselves to use this time to get closer to the people we love, even if we might not be able to see them in person. Reach out to that friend that might be suffering. Spend more time with your family. Although we cannot hug each other right now, keep looking for ways to reach out and be present to others.
Content: Over 85% of the content in media now a days is being created by people (usually we refer to them as influencers). Avoiding the consumption of news media after 6PM and reducing the amount of negative messaging in your social media feeds, for example, can help limit negativity. Balancing the negative and positive content you take in can help create a healthy balance in the negative and positive emotions you put out.
Caring (with a focus on self-care): We need to be able to get our minds off the virus sometimes and focus on ourselves. Focus on maintaining a positive outlook throughout your day and be kind to yourself and others. Meditate more, which will help you get in touch with yourself and with one another. Start a Gratitude journal, focusing on the light in the world and not the darkness. Allocate time in your day to express and evaluate the hardships you face or the things that bother the most so that you can properly air those grievances. And don’t forget to protect your sleep cycle so that you can keep your body healthy and your mind sharp and ready.
Keep in mind that, although the external environment may seem dangerous and can even overwhelm us at times, we still need to pay attention to what’s going on in our inner environment. Give yourself permission to be human: Don’t suppress your emotions — express them! Live your life one minute at a time instead of focusing too heavily on the past or the future. When we take these steps to become aware of our emotions and how they affect us, Body and Mind, we gain the freedom and power to act towards happiness.
Happiness shouldn’t be your purpose — it is the outcome of a process. It should be your way of life.