Fear is protective. It’s our minds way of processing a threat and co-ordinating some type of safety response. Remember that your fear is not yours to keep. Open your heart and set it free. We live in a world of duality – there will always be good and bad, black and white, ying and yang, positive and negative. This is the way of the universe. From every perceived negative experience – we can find lessons and grow from said experience. Now, I know some of my friends think I’m a wacky wannabe spiritual guru – which gives me a giggle, but the truth is, I’ve been to hell and back and come out the other side as a more light, positive and fearless individual, so I guess you could say, every cloud has a silver lining.
With the Covid19 Pandemic in full swing, it’s no wonder there’s a huge increase in both depression and anxiety worldwide. But, what can we do about it? Fear itself is also a disease , perhaps even worse than the virus itself. As many of you know from my media interviews and social media posts – 2019 really sucked for me. Actually, it didn’t just suck, it was hands down, THE worst year of my life. Long story short, my mom died of skin cancer. My beloved grandma, Liz, who was like my second mom, died two months before that of unknown causes, and grandad of cancer only 5 months before that. I lost them all in under 9 months. This fundamentally changed me as a person.
Dealing with such overwhelming grief and loss was almost unbearable, but it forced my mind into a place of self healing and solitude like never before. It was sink or swim – and I had to be there for my younger siblings. While I am still healing, the terror of 2019 taught me a new perspective on life – I no longer stress about the little things – infact , I rarely stress or worry AT ALL anymore. I choose to live in the moment, not the the past or future. Before this I was a complete worry bug, forever stressing, frazzling and overthinking. SO, how did I get to this epic point of ‘its all good, live in the moment’ …
Every morning after I wake up, I follow a ritual that helps me stay grounded and connected. Find a quiet place, preferably where you can look in the mirror, look at your reflection and focus on your eyes. These are the ones I like to use, but you can write your own and mix it up. Repeat these statements slowly to yourself, five times each.
I am safe
I am abundant
I am peaceful
I am loved
I am lucky
I am magnetic
I am a powerful manifestor
I am creating my dream life
I am a magnet for positive energy
I will follow my heart today and enjoy life
My fear is not real
I am not afraid today
Let’s take Covid19 for example. Indeed there has been sickness, death, and economic turmoil. But on the opposite hand, there has been a huge increase in human kindness, communities working together, donations flowing, volunteers helping at food banks – to the point where no more volunteers are even possible. The Chicago Animal Rescue Center, for the first time EVER in its history – is empty – ALL of the animals are in new homes. So as you can see, there is a duality to this situation, as with all situations. And this is something to remember – its easy to focus on the fear, but let’s train ourselves to look at any given situation with a clear, unbiased perspective.
It’s really worth the ‘brain training’ to get yourself into this neutral way of thinking. The mass media can often have a vastly negative effect on the collective conciseness – but its important to remember they get paid from high view counts – so its in their interest to spread ‘fear porn’ to increase views and revenue from advertising. I’m not saying to ignore the news – but don’t buy into everything that’s being reported or dramatized for likes.
With this in mind, its even more important to focus on your mental wellbeing during times of distress. We are up against so much negativity, its important to counter this with your own little piece of calmness – beginning with your daily affirmations and positivity ritual.
Therapist Carder Stout, PhD, knows that we a currently in a high state of alert: social distancing, disinfecting, shooting funny looks at anyone who steps inside our six-foot radius. While its important to carefully follow health protocols to slow the spread of the virus, it doesn’t mean we have to live like the boogeyman is at our door. Lets release fear and reside in the present moment, where despite the virus, many things are still good.
Nothing lasts forever, so remember, this too shall pass.
Do you have a story to share? Contact me at hello@empathicbeauty.com
TS xx