Coping With Fear of the Unknown

As CEO/Chairman of Promises Behavioral Health, I wish I could join our staff in the trenches. But my job has been to coordinate, communicate, triage as best I can from a distance. My job has also been to encourage and support, how and where I can, offering guidance in facing fear, particularly legitimate fear in the face of the unknown. This role is one small way I feel I can help. 

Consider the following tools to use to banish fear:

1. Gratitude - Gratitude and Fear cannot occupy the same space – take a moment to consider what you can be grateful for: I am grateful for our staff, for the passion with which many of us serve. I am grateful that my daughters are home (though they’d rather be back at school!) and we can have home-cooked meals around the table which is exceedingly rare these days. I am grateful for the loving, heroic spirit in my community (a neighbor saw two elderly folks crying in their car in the Publix parking lot, afraid to go in. So she went in and bought their supplies for them and put them in their trunk!). I am grateful that we have technology available today we didn’t have so very long ago, that allows us to be informed, connected and not isolated. I am grateful for SO much…….and my fear is gone. 
2. Prayer - The Serenity Prayer is my “go to” in times of stress, fear, powerlessness, (God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference), but if you are agnostic, no problem! If you believe in the human spirit, that bond that ties us together in a crisis motivating us to take care of each other regardless of race, religion, class, etc, then try saying a simple “Help me to be thoughtful, mindful, compassionate and loving TODAY….” and throw that out into the universe in these troubled times. 
3. BREATHE…..  When you find your fear rising, anxiety growing, or you’re just plain out of patience and are irritable. PAUSE. Breathe slowly and deeply five times. In through the nose, out through the mouth, and let your mind/thoughts follow your breath in….. then out…. slowly and deeply. I know this is a helpful tool for me.  
4. Introspection/Reflection – When we reflect back on our lives, the times of crisis, loss, pain and suffering are the times we have often grown the most, learned the most, made real change and matured in many ways. The only real, lasting tragedy is when we fail to learn and grow from difficult times. I will ask myself “What is there for me to learn in this current situation?” “What role do I have to play?” In an immediate crisis, we often turn inward due to fear and get lost in the black hole of panic. We blame. We shake our fists. We hoard, hunker down, and isolate (emotionally and physically). When we can pause, step into gratitude, contemplate our situation just for a moment, we CAN find opportunities for personal growth and/or service to others which pulls us up, outside ourselves and our fears. 
5. Empathy – When I look up and out from my own challenging situation, I usually find that there are those around me in worse situations than I, particularly as I’ve traveled the world and seen the breadth and depth of suffering out there. Having courage enough to step into the shoes of others is one of the most powerful tools to face fear. We are all in a stressful and challenging situation at the moment. Now imagine for a moment that, in addition to the fears of income, food, and other common fears most are facing today, you are also actively in the grip of your mental illness, your overwhelming addiction to substances and behaviors you have used most of your life to cope with stress… You likely want to escape like you’ve never escaped before! What will you do? Who will take care of you?  Who will care at all?!?  

I will. We will. There has been no greater challenge our country has faced in our lifetimes, or our world has faced. But you are not alone. We are not alone. We can stand together in service. From our healthcare front lines and first responders facing each crisis coming in the door, to our business office staff (working remotely!) making sure the wheels keep turning to serve the next person coming, we ALL have a role to play. God bless you for stepping into the gap, for walking forward when the challenges come. I am proud of you and proud to be a part of the spirit of service needed in difficult times. 

Peace, Rob