Guided Meditations: One of Three Ways to keep your cool during a health crisis
I’ve never known anything like what the world is going through now. Fear, anxiety and panic are close-by and what happens over the coming weeks and months remains uncertain. It is a lot to process, and we are at risk of feeling overwhelmed.
How often are you checking the news?
This week, I’ve been guilty of checking the news far too often. Yes, I know, how does that help, I hear you ask. Despite the awareness that it raises rather than reduces my anxiety, I’ve still fallen into the habit of excessive checking. Why do I keep doing looking for reassurance?
Reassurance seeking is a common way that people try to alleviate their uncertainties about things. You see it in day to day situations, and it is especially popular among people who struggle with long-term anxiety such as obsessiveness, health concerns and uncontrollable worry.
Many of the things that scare us are outside of our direct control. However, our minds don’t recognise this because our attention gets narrowed and focuses on trying to control the perceived threat.
Slow down and notice the bigger picture
When you slow down and take a step back, it is easier to see the bigger picture. For example, you can see that reacting to reassure yourself again and again regularly doesn’t work. It makes your anxiety worse, and it pulls your attention and energy away from other essential tasks.
In a time of crisis, it is easy to see why we might be more vulnerable to over-reacting. Thankfully, I haven’t gone out and bought six months worth of loo-roll, so I’m not doing too badly. Observing this pattern in me this week has reminded me of how human it is to be ‘better safe than sorry’. And, of course, it’s not that keeping safe is terrible, it’s wise. It’s more that we need to do what is necessary and nothing more. Otherwise, we end up making ourselves more anxious than is helpful.
Three ways to keep your cool during a health crisis
1. Follow the usual hygiene advice, which I am sure you have seen.
2. Learn from my experience – limit the number of times you check the news or seek reassurance.
3. Look after your mind by making time for guided meditation practice.
In this last week, I’ve added to my website a new page called Guided Mindfulness Meditations. There you’ll find several different meditations you can use for free.
You’ll notice that they are no longer than 10 minutes, and for many, you can do a five-minute meditation. I’ve kept them short, so it’s easier to implement into your day.
Take care, stay safe and keep your cool.
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