Covid 19 and fear!

Fear is fear. Real or imagined, fear is fear. And each of us will experience fear, intensity of it, because of our own life experiences.

Everyone looks at life differently, our experiences will be similar but our actions, reactions are unique.  A tragedy for one person may not have the same impact for another. The news just watch the news every day it’s all about COVID-19, death and dying around the world. This fills us with fear, I know I’m scared too.

Our world is experiencing an unprecedented tragedy. The long-term fear can have a tremendous negative impact on our mental and physical health. Social media and the news are bombarding us with information and misinformation. Deciding what is the truth and sifting fact from fiction is challenging. How do we live life under the threat of COVID-19? How do we reassure our children who can’t go outside to play with the friends because of COVID-19?.

I say let’s take back our power and find away to make friends with fear. What! How can you be friends with fear?

“ Even the darkest hour has only 60 minutes.“ by Morris Mandel

Do I want to be filled with fear? Do I want my children to live in fear? Is this how we want to spend time gripped each day in fear, because we really don’t know how long this will last. The answer is no!

What am I doing to conquer my fear of COVID? What can you do to conquer fear?We are all in this together.

Because yes, I am scared along with the rest of the world. COVID 19 has touched our families and community. There is no template for what is happening today. There is no quick fix and return to normal.

 Taking control over your fear is part of empowerment. Taking positive action in making reassuring phone calls patients, phones calls to ensure self quarantine, gloves and masks for all residents. Some self care fear busting tools I am using to conquer fear firstly knowing there are events I have no control over and not allow imagination to run wild. Daily forms of fitness, hobbies such as reading, baking, meditation/a positive distraction if those sticky thoughts are taking over, maintaining a sense of humor. All these give you resilience in life. Taking a walk, going outside and doing chalk drawings on my driveway, like that's fun. Sharing with others positive messages of hope during this stressful time. It is a choice in how we respond.

Use these tools to conquer fear. Living in fear is a choice. We cannot change what is happening in the world but we can change how we react, respond and decide to live each day.

How do we become friends with our fear?

Learn to trust that no matter what happens in life, your life you can handle it, this takes away so much of the fear of the unknown. I learned about 'pain to power' from The book by Dr. Susan Jeffers, “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway” talks about how fear can take over life.

When we focus on our fears they become magnified, intensified, all consuming and it becomes our reality, sometimes a larger than life event.

We have the ability in each of us to turn that around, turn that negative voice and listen to the positive encouraging voice trusting in our ability that we can handle life events. Retrain our brain to focus on something that’s fun, beautiful, something positive, yesterday today and for our tomorrow’s. Create your own self care tools and strategies, things you can do, create that are positive, motivating, relaxing. Self care is about being responsible for your own thoughts and happiness no matter what life circumstances in your day. Self care is not listening to the negative sticky thoughts of gloom and doom voice in our heads. Take control.

Yes, you can, self talk your way out of fear, you need to believe it, to think it to change it. Seek out reliable sources for information. Most of us want to share and help by using social media with true, scientific information which helps us feel more calm and do what is needed. Stay home and be safe.

Make friends with your fear and life will be more livable. You are worth it!