develop a healthy MINDSET FOR THE CORONAVIRUS
We are living in a time where our way of life is changing rapidly minute to minute. Globally we are facing uncertainty, numerous unknowns, and many people are acting out of panic and fear. Our world has been transformed into a trepid anticipation of the apocalypse. Although we need to adjust to some constantly changing realities, nothing great happens when we are driven by worry, panic, or fear. Our thoughts are powerful. They become our words, our actions, our habits, our character and our destiny. It is important to have a resilient, courageous, peaceful, and calm mindset in times such as these. Remember, “Whatever you focus on expands.” Will you focus on isolation, negativity, and disease? Or will you choose to live through these circumstances with joy, love, gratitude, and hope?
How will you choose to focus your thoughts this day?
A MINDSET THAT OVERCOMES:
MENTAL DISTANCING – By now we are all familiar with the term social distancing (to maintain our physical distance from others in order to prevent or lessen the spread of COVID-19). However, we also need some time each day to do some mental distancing from this disease. We need to not let this virus devour all of our time and thoughts. It is beneficial to have some limits on how much of this topic occupies our mind space. We all need some healthy mental distancing and to focus on the wonderful things in life.
GRATITUDE – Take some time and focus on all the blessings that you do have. Are you healthy? Do you have a job? Are there family and friends in your life that love you? Rather than focusing on the inconvenience and restrictions, focus on what you DO have. Feel the feelings of enjoying everything and everyone in your life right now. Living is a precious gift. Practice being deeply thankful for what you do have.
ABUNDANCE – Choose an abundance mindset. Believe that there is more than enough to go around, rather than embracing a scarcity mindset. A scarcity mindset leads to fear, greed, and hoarding. Nobody wants to be the couple that out-of-control couple who bought out the entire meat section at Save On Foods by cutting off other customers to make sure that no one else got anything. There is more than enough to go around. Having a mindset of abundance puts you into a giving / loving mindset and magnetizes good things back to you.
BE INTENTIONAL – It is a wise idea to have adequate supplies on hand. Decide what that means for you. What is reasonable if you do choose to (or must) self-quarantine? Would you feel at peace knowing that you have two weeks, one month, or two months worth of supplies? Some people are reacting without thinking and have accumulated enough toilet paper to last until 2025. Others count the cost of what supplies may be necessary for the upcoming weeks. Now is the time to be intentional and have a plan. Knowing and deciding what to do, what you need, and how much is enough, can give you great peace as opposed to responding out of fear and chaos. You can always re-evaluate later. Knowing what you need, what you have, what it takes to fill the gap can help you to be responsive and intentional, versus reactive and panicked.
HOW IS YOUR PRESENT PERFECT? – When a person has to live through an uncomfortable situation, they might as well make the most of it. How can these circumstances at this time SERVE you? One of my friends posts daily on Facebook about what a wonderful opportunity this is for spending time with her family. My friend is maximizing this occasion to fully enjoy her family. How will you allow this time to serve you rather than feeling like a slave to the circumstances? Maybe you have some home projects that you can tackle. Perhaps this is the time to re-think a new career or create a more innovative way to do business. This experience can teach us to be more adaptable, to find new ways of doing things, and to really appreciate our relationships. When you look through the lens of how every circumstance in life is a good thing and can serve you in some way, you will find the opportunities. WARNING: The side-effects for this mindset include greater creativity, peace, joy, and motivation.
VIRUS / LIFE BALANCE – We used to crave having a work / life balance, however it seems that the past several weeks the coronavirus has been all consuming. It is everywhere on the news and the internet. It seems to be the only thing people talk about. While we need to be informed and aware, make sure that it does not overtake your time. Carve out other moments in life for laughter, work, taking care of responsibilities, enjoying life and hobbies, and focusing on your goals.
SERVE OTHERS – When we look to help fulfill the needs of others, it does our souls good. What does that mean for you? Is it helping a neighbour, delivering groceries, or encouraging others? We can still connect with others at this time. With all the technology we have on hand, we can still communicate with others through FaceTime, Zoom Meetings, Facebook, Instagram, and the like. We are created to be in relationship with others.
