Protecting yourself emotionally from COVID19

Considering the reality of COVID19, feeling insecure may well be an inevitable, inescapable part of our current lives. Insecurity, however,—the fear of vulnerability—acts as mental friction creating hesitations, fears, and doubts. From a Self-Coaching perspective, it’s insecurity that feeds all emotional struggle.

Why is this important?

Because you need to know (and remind yourself throughout the day) that COVID19 can NOT make you get depressed or anxious, you have to allow it to. In spite of the gravity of what’s going on globally, you do NOT have to succumb to debilitating emotional struggle.

Clearly, some stress and anxiety may be unavoidable, and this would be an understandable and proportionate reaction. However, extreme, compulsive, disproportionate stress and anxiety is caused by insecurity. It’s insecurity’s projections of doom-and-gloom that magnifies mild stress and anxiety and turns it into sheer emotional chaos.

Try this:

Rather than being a passive victim of insecurity, try being more courageous. Continue taking every conceivable “rational” precaution, but then take a leap of faith and challenge any insecurity-driven attitude and perception.

Optimism may be too much to ask, especially if you’re prone to worrying, but at the very least you don’t have to hand yourself over to pessimism. You can at least be neutral. As the Alcoholics Anonymous adage goes: Let go, let God.

Neutral or optimistic, if you’re courageous enough to actively embrace this shift in perception, your day-to-day handling of this crisis will be ensured.

#anxiety #covid19coping #depression #selfcoaching