A viral pandemic has caught the world by surprise, news of its spread has flooded all media outlets, it’s brought economies to a painful halt and worst of all--has taken the lives of thousands, many have lost their livelihoods, and others are crippled by fear and anxiety. 

So, what can you do in the midst of what feels very much like worldwide chaos? 

Besides being responsible and staying home as part of quarantine measures, managing your own emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being during times of sudden change is the most effective measure you can take. Remaining grounded in the face of a pandemic will positively impact your life and the lives of those around you. 

Here are ways to maintain your critical role in lifting the healing power of the collective by healing and strengthing yourself.

Manage What You Focus On

Thoughts create feelings and feelings create behavior that leads to action. Your thoughts will be what you make of, not only this testing situation but the entirety of your life. A major step in managing your thoughts and the results they bring about is by being hyper-aware of what you focus on, including the input that’s coming through your screens.

Filter your focus by

• Choosing your source of news/information wisely
• Limiting how often you spend watching or thinking about what’s going on outside of your home
• Creating daily activities (and schedules) for yourself and your household to focus on. These could include exercise, games, creative activities, reading, movies, and other enjoyable distractions
• Take an online course
• Binge a TV show
• Learn a new hobby

If you’re one of the millions who have had to leave work and can’t do so from home, now is not the time to shame yourself for not being productive. After weeks of quarantine, there are only so many times you can clean the house and rearrange your closet. There may be a few days where you’ll have to be okay with doing nothing and give yourself permission to rest.

When You Can’t Go Out, Go Within

Self-isolating is going to bring about internal triggers that you may have been dodging for a while. Whether you’re single and loneliness sets in, or in a home with toxic energy, or confined to be in the presence of your significant other with whom you have unresolved issues...everything you’ve ignored is likely to come to the surface at this time.

Pay attention to how you’re thinking and feeling. Are old patterns re-emerging? 

With significantly fewer distractions to fill your headspace, now is a better time than any to face yourself. Take this time to re-evaluate the direction of your life and plot out a few course-corrections. Is this the relationship you want? The career? The neighborhood you want to live in? If you’ve been in autopilot for a while, now’s the time to sort through goals and ideas you’ve put on hold.

Coping With Fear in A Time of Uncertainty

Low vibrational thinking will make you believe all of this is happening TO you. High vibrational thinking will help you realize life is happening FOR you. 

Will positive thinking alone cure a pandemic? Perhaps not immediately, but it will greatly shift how you experience this and future situations that are scary and completely out of your control.

The first step in turning times of chaos into a growing and learning opportunity is managing your fear. There is plenty of that going around and it’s causing people to react in ways that are harming all of us. Maintaining hope and a positive perspective is proven to stimulate thought processes that bring about solutions, boost the immune system, and enhance your overall psychological and physical well-being.

Here are a few ways to overcome the “fake news” your mind feeds you when you feel overwhelmed with fear and anxiety:

• Phone a friend, and if possible video call with them. We are all in this together and social-distancing doesn’t mean breaking our connections.
  
  
• Gratitude journal. If you’ve ever been one to roll your eyes at the idea of keeping a journal, now’s the time to jump on the bandwagon. It’s a saving grace and can pull thoughts out of your mind, onto paper, and help you see how you have so much more control over them than you’ve ever had before.
  
  
• Get fresh air. There are ways to leave your house at this time and remain socially responsible, and getting exercise is one of them. You should aim to get at least 30 minutes of fresh air every day.
  

Release guilt, fear, anger, and anxiety as soon as they arise by initiating mantras that will replace unwanted feelings.

Grounding mantras to keep you sane during quarantine:

I am safe and my safety is unconditional and unwavering

Centering my self is as easy as each breath and I am doing it now

As my feet are planted firmly in the ground my heart and mind are anchored in a happy reality

I am protected by energies that I can’t see but I can feel

When you decide you want to feel good, everything around you will appear as you wish. Despite what media says and what your egoic fear is raving about, it is possible in the face of a viral pandemic to be happy.