During this time of uncertainty, if our constant internal chatter is filled with what-ifs … “my speaking engagements are cancelled …. what if I never work again?” “I’ve just lost $450k in the market, what if it goes to zero and I’m penniless?” “What if we all just, like, die?”

Fear-based “What-ifs” hold hostage the thinking part of our brain by causing survival chemicals to flood the body. Our immune system shuts down because it thinks that the body has more serious work to do right now, and thus we are even more vulnerable to what is coming at us. Finally, survival chemicals turn into a toxic closed-loop fear circuit that inevitably lead to more serious illness.

1. Put your frontal cortex (PFC) back in charge with thought-substitution. For every fear-based thought, use your PFC to reason yourself through. Pretend it’s an arm wrestle and you want your PFC to win - put your energy there. Worrying won’t prevent it, won’t solve it, won’t help you at all. In fact, it will increase your risk of illness! It doesn’t help to say don’t worry, that makes it worse. Reason it through: “OK you’ve lost $450K - on paper. Has this happened before? Yes? Did you get through it OK, even better than before? Yes? So are you broke now? No? What’s the worst that will happen if you are? Prison? Exile? No? You can earn it back and this setback might make you more motivated and creative?”
   
   

2. Avoid stimuli and people that aggravate fear. Stay away from social media or stop following antagonistic posts. Check news reports from the W.H.O or C.D.C no more than once a day. Avoid partisan news. Don’t post anything negative or blaming yourself! Stop reading or listening to conspiracy theories. Instead, plan nurturing and enjoyable things to do that you should have been doing anyway but you were too crazy busy. :)
   
   

3. Take action. Do everything that is recommended by the scientists and health care professionals, and no more. Do everything that is recommended by the scientists and health care professionals, and no more. The only way to decrease fear is to take action into it. Don’t be crazy and waste energy, money, and time on anything that won’t pay off. Toilet paper hoarding has not been correlated with disease mitigation.
   
   

4. Review the benefits that have resulted from even the most terrible disasters. During our toughest times, we humans remember our connection. We remember who we are, as we band together and help and support each other. We learn from our mistakes and fix systems that weren’t up to the task. We get stronger and more resilient.

Use this time to bring out the best of you, and the best of us.

Put your best self in charge.
Avoid people and messaging that aren’t helpful.
Do everything that’s recommended.
Review later benefits.

Love and good health,
Janet