When life gives us fear.

This has been a week that we will never forget.  We are dealing with something around the world that we have not experienced before.  We have been overwhelmed with the news, media hype, and the fear that it is bringing - fear of the unknown.  How do we deal with the fear and uncertainty?  Buying toilet paper seems to be one way.

Our brains always go to worst-case scenario thinking when something significant or unusual happens.  This is not always a bad thing because worst case scenario thinking helps us prepare for the worst; however, if we concentrate on and believe our worst-case scenario, we cause ourselves more stress than is healthy. 

So how do we control our worry or concern while staying positive to care for our families and friends?  How do we keep ourselves safe and healthy without becoming selfish and greedy with our time, money and supplies?  

First, we have to control our worry.  Believe me that I am not a stranger to this effort.  I have parents and children that I love deeply that I do not want to see become ill.  I also have a business and team that will be hurt severely by an economic downturn.  The worry is natural and understandable, but we must overcome worry and concern, and replace it with gratitude for the things that we do have:  food, shelter, clothing and even toilet paper.

How do we change our thinking when we are faced with a negative circumstance such as this?

Write down your thoughts.  It is useful to get all the thoughts about a negative circumstance out of your head and onto paper so you can sort the rational from the irrational.  Fear and worry are normal emotions, but if you look at the many thoughts that are causing your fear, you can see some of them as unreasonable.  Many of the thoughts that our brain offers are over exaggerated.  Once you sort out the facts from the exaggerated thoughts, you can start to let go of your fear and concentrate on the things that you can control.

Once you understand that your thoughts create your fear and worry, you can choose to think differently about the uncertain times that we are in.  You can choose to think of this as a time to reconnect with yourself and your family in a more meaningful way.  You can choose renewed faith in your fellow human beings to do what is best to defeat any challenge. 

I encourage you to look for the good in this challenge.  See that the world is pulling together in many ways to help in the fight.  In difficult times it is up to us to change our thoughts and to choose to connect more deeply with others thorough service.  

We cannot control what is happening nor foresee the future, but we can control the way we think about it.  We need to spread love and care for our families, friends and neighbors.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones. And keep healthy.

Dr. Julie Cappel

"Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones."
--Thich Nhat Hanh