Trying to stay cool in a crisis when things are out of control is paramount

Life has changed as we know it, for at least for the time being.

COVID-19 has put a spanner in Western World works and the repercussions have reached far and wide. And whatever your opinion is of the virus, you cannot dispute one fact.

This virus is putting people in the ground.

And its overwhelming hospitals where COVID-19 virus crisis has taken hold. This means you need to take it seriously and take precautions to protect yourself and your family.

In The World Of Google

And the 24/7 news cycle and social media there’s a lot of experts, opinions and panic and fear. The panic or fear spreads like a wildfire and it’s easy to get caught up in it because we stress about what we don’t understand.

And when the brain is confused and gets mixed inputs, it (can) fills in the blanks for you. And this is almost never good.

It’s the brain job to keep us alive and protect us from threats, real and imagined, so when the brain is off to the races things happen

So, I get it. It’s easy to get caught up in the panic and fear.

But people fighting over toilet paper? Really?  There are several things that I consider essential before toilet paper, like beer, bacon and coffee to name a few.

It’s interesting to observe how people react to a crisis because it either brings out the best or worst in people. And we’ve seen this a lot in recent days.

I was attending a Dallas Mavericks game on the 11th March when it was announced by the NBA they were suspending the season after a player tested positive to the virus.  I was in a state of shock and disbelief.

Until then, I didn’t take this virus seriously but when the NBA acted, I wanted to scream it from the rooftops. Because when stuff gets taken away from you, whether it’s a luxury or a necessity, shit gets real.

And it got really real.

Self-quarantine And Social Distancing Are Now The New Buzz Words

Here down south in Louisiana, they suspended going to school for 30 days which meant my kids got an unexpected vacation.

After dragging themselves to school all year and rejoicing every time the weekend rolled around, they actually want to go back to school to see their friends after being quarantined.

They wanted to go back to school. Weird right?

Because they don’t understand social distancing is necessary to stop the spread of the virus, They’re young and they think they’re bullet proof and they’re frustrated.

Now that all families are spending all this time together, who are the kids looking for guidance during this uncertain time? Their parents, hopefully.  

Setting A Good Example

Firstly, our family is not in a state of financial crisis. I understand that families are and we’re extremely lucky in that respect. So, not freaking out about money is a blessing.

If you are, you can probably disregard what I’m about to say.

Parents (and so-called leaders) have people looking at them this time and they’re taking their cues from them.

If the parents (and leaders) are freaking out and blaming others for what’s going on, what are the kids (and people) going to do?  You guessed it. Freak out.

So, any freaking out I’m keeping inside and doing these 4 things instead.

1. Keeping the routine

I’m going to bed at the same time, eating dinner at the same time and making my kids and wife breakfast on the weekends like I usually do.

Doing all the household chores on the same days. Keeping a sense of normalcy during this difficult time brings a sense of calm to yourself and to those around you.

Whatever your routine is, try to keep it. Trust me it helps.

2. Control what you can control

Things are way out of our control now and it’s disconcerting for everyone. There’s so much we don’t know at the best of times but during this time, it’s even more stressful.

To me, controlling what I can control is maintaining my routine and mood so my family stresses out less. This involves controlling my effort  I’m putting into my writing, training and making sure the house is clean from top to bottom, so no one gets ill.

You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you react. So even if you’re freaking out on the inside and you have people who rely on you, please keep it together and control what you can control.

It helps the people around you.

3. Exercise To Reduce Stress And Maintain Health

Exercise helps produce endorphins that act as natural painkillers and improve our ability to sleep, which in turn, helps to reduce stress during the CO VID 19 crisis. .

The exact physiological mechanisms to explain this aren’t proven. But research indicates that exercise improves the way the body handles stress because of changes in the hormone responses, and the positive effects exercise has on the brain. (1)

Regular exercise increases the volume of certain brain regions, particularly the hippocampus through better blood supply that helps improve overall brain health. (2)

Which makes exercise important for your mental and physical health.

4. Be grateful

As a society, we’re going without a lot of our luxuries, stuff we believe is important. But rather than focusing on this, focus on what you do have and be grateful for those things.

I have a roof over my head, internet, food, power and my family is healthy.

What are you grateful for?

Wrapping up

It’s my hope that you got something out of this article, something you can apply to your life during this current crisis. Because it’s not going to last forever and hopefully you come out the other side sane and healthy.

References
  1. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2011 Jul;39(3):140-9. Exercise, stress resistance, and central serotonergic systems. Greenwood BN1, Fleshner M.
  2. Neural Plast. 2007 May 14. Hippocampal Neurogenesis, Depressive Disorders, and Antidepressant Therapy. Eleni Paizanis, 1, 2 Michel Hamon, 1, 2 and Laurence Lanfumey 1, 2 *

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