As Corona Virus (COVID-19) makes us change our daily routines, a rush of emotions hit us to our core. If you are anything like me, you’ve thought “oh no, is this my fate?” or “this virus is not as big of a deal as people are making it out to be?” or “what’s next!” These thoughts are like someone who has experienced grief and/or loss. Depression, Denial and Anger- just to put names with those thoughts. Yet the reality remains true, our lives are changing due to the spread of this virus. Distress tends to increase anytime we do not have a clear vision of our future or we since those things are out of our control. So of course, emotions such as fear, depression, denial, and anger would be right around the corner. But what if I told you, there is no need to fear? What if rather than fear the unexpected we challenge ourselves to act in a more intentional manner? Challenge ourselves to recognize what is in our control and make the best of each moment we can control. If we focused on what we were able to control and accept that there will always be things that we cannot control, we are truly walking in a spirit free of fear. What do I have to fear when I am acting intentionally, using thought out statements and recognizing that I impact every space I enter-so I better choose my actions wisely . See, walking in a spirit free of fear is not about being reckless or dangerous- it is about being careful with your words and actions. It is about thinking about yourself, thinking about others and thinking about your interactions with your environment.
Thinking about Thinking
Greetings and welcome to my blog! Today I’d like to spend just a little bit of time talking about mindfulness and anxiety. First off- let’s create a working definition of what being mindful really means. In its most basic form, mindfulness can be thought of as a “particular form of attention” (Tull, Gratz and Chapman, p.25). I find myself telling my kids- be mindful of what you are doing or be mindful of what you are saying. In other words, I’m saying PAY ATTENTION!!!! We want our kids to pay attention to their environment, first responders are trained to pay attention to their environments and now we are training teachers to pay attention to their environments. External, external, external- right?
When do we turn this attention around, and begin to pay attention or become mindful of our very own thoughts? “Oh that’s scary Dr. Chelsea! Why would I ever want to pay attention to what’s going on in my own head…” Well, I’m glad you asked! And, I’m glad I have a wonderful excerpt from, The Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Workbook for PTSD (2016) that explains the “why”
“Mindfulness can help you combat this vicious cycle by allowing you to notice your anxiety without getting caught up in the experience or reacting to it. Rather than getting swept up in your anxiety or anxiety-related thoughts, this skill will help you take one step back from your experience so that you can simply observe your anxiety, without getting stuck in it. The goal isn’t to avoid your anxiety or get rid of it; in fact, mindfulness will actually help you become more aware of your emotions. Instead, the goal of this skill is just to notice all of the different part of your anxiety, without trying to push them away or cling to them.” (The Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Workbook for PTSD, Tull, Gratz and Chapman, p.37)