3 Important Things

 

The first thing we’ve got to realise is that what’s going on around the world is pretty much a result of what’s called The Stress Response, The Threat Response, or The Alarm Response.

 

Whenever something happens that we perceive as a threat – and it doesn’t have to be real, we can imagine the threat – a biological system kicks in, in our mind and our body, and we literally change how we think, which then changes how we behave.

 

We start getting very aggressive, or we become very defensive, or we just kind of freeze and don’t know what to do. That’s why it’s also called the Fight, Flight or Freeze response, and we can see evidence of all these “protective” behaviours going on right now, pretty much demonstrating that.

 

Some of them are sensible … some are completely irrational …

 

All the panic buying, all the fear buying and some of the aggression comes from the fact that many people are just in ‘threat’ mode right now, and rightly so, to some degree, because there is a lot of uncertainty around …

 

… but actually, as most of us know when we look into it, actually, there’s enough to go around, enough supplies of everything if we can all just calm down.

 

But this calming down and stop panicking has a secondary benefit as well, and that’s on our body, on our health.

 

Our immune system is what fights off illness and disease, we know that, but this stress response is designed for short term use, and if we have a long-term stress response it becomes damaging to our body, and it reduces the immune system.

 

This is a well known, biological fact, so any way in which we can calm down, reduce the stress response or eliminate it, not only does it mean we can make better decisions … (because we tend to make dumb decisions when stressed) …

 

… it actually means our body is in a much better position to stay healthy and well, which is what we all need right now.

 

So the first thing I would say that is really important is learn how to recognise, manage or reduce the stress response, before it ripples even more out of control.

 

And a simple way to begin that is to ask yourself …

 

“Am I OK right now? In this moment, this physical moment, am I safe?”

 

If we are physical safe, right now, we’re fine, we’re OK, we can relax!

 

 

Ok, Number 2, we need to acknowledge that most of us are going to come through this completely unscathed, health wise. I don’t know what the figures are right now, it seems to change, but let’s say that 99% of us will be absolutely fine. We might feel a bit ill for a few days and then it will be over and done with.

 

So there’s really, really, nothing to worry about for the vast majority of us …

 

However … for a smaller number of us there is something to worry about if we are in that vulnerable group. If we are in that vulnerable group we can still stay calm to give our immune system a boost …

 

… but if the vast majority of us with nothing to worry about, could do a little something for those who do have something to worry about …

 

… that would be a really, really, nice, practical helpful, thing to do, right?

 

A simple gesture, a little kindness. What can we do to be thoughtful, helpful, kind to someone, who is in a more vulnerable group right now? Little acts can make a BIG difference to someone

 

But … There’s a selfish benefit of that by the way! A fairly new scientific study says that whenever we do something loving or kind, it sends a little shot of health through our body!

 

This is not some wishy washy positive thinking, this is a biologically measured outcome, that when we have little thoughts of love, little acts of kindness, we send a boost of health through our body!

 

So if we can do something kind and loving, for someone who is in a more vulnerable group, it will actually help our health as well!

 

 

 

We’ve got this time. However this all came about, it’s forcing us to take stock of our lives right now. The world is going to be different when this is over and done with, whenever that is. Is that a month from now? Two Months from now, six months from now? Who knows?

 

The world is going to be a different place, so where do we want to be when this passes? When this is more over and done with, where do we want to be?

 

Do we want to just hold our breath, for two months or six months or a year and watch all the news and be terrified? And then breathe out and think, well, what was that all about?

 

Or can we use this time t think, what can I do right now, how can I change right now, how can I use this time to evolve in some way, to improve myself in some way?

 

How can I use this time to put into place those changes I have been thinking of making but haven’t got around to?

 

What is this forcing me to do right now? What is it forcing me to face up to?

 

Because there is going to be a lot of people thrown together that is going to bring about issues …

 

… a lot of people have lost their job situation. That’s going to bring about issues, a lot of people have lost their sense of security, their sense of self-worth, their sense of power, control, all that’s going to be gone as well.

 

There’s going to be people feeling lonely and on their own, that is going to trigger things there.

 

There’s going to be people forced into situations where their relationships are not great and they’ve got to deal with that.

 

There’s a whole load of stuff going on right now, that the situation is forcing us to face up to.

 

So how can we use this time to somehow improve ourself, improve our life, and transform ourself in some way, so that when it passes, we are in a much better situation, a much better position to feel better and be able to give more in the world?

 

 

(1) Learn how to recognise, manage & reduce the Stress Response, to reduce fear & increase health.

 

(2) See if you can perform some act of kindness for someone else, especially those in a more vulnerable group.

 

(3) Use the time wisely to think about how you can develop yourself, or come out of the situation as a different person, as a better person.