So far, I have managed to remain in high spirits on the whole. I have to admit I am a bit scared of catching Coronavirus. My biggest fear though is social isolation. You may be surprised to know that I am an introvert at heart. I love spending time quiet time alone at home with the cats or with my boyfriend, Andy, affectionately known as Mr Sexy Pants (MSP). The thought of being stuck at home for an indefinite period causes me to feel quite uncomfortable though. I’m also worried that MSP or I might die – not because of the Coronavirus – but because we’ve killed each other. If we do live to tell the tale, will we still love each other? Will our relationship last the distance?
I will be sharing the steps that I will be taking for me – and my relationship – to survive and In this blog post we take a closer look at what we focus on.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts everything comes down to a choice between love and fear. It’s important to focus on what we want, rather than on what we don’t want, as what we focus on is what we get. As anything in life we can’t control what happens to us, but we can choose how we react.
Here are my tips to keep focusing on the good:
Allow yourself to feel the fear
Allow yourself to feel the fear but don’t focus on it. Feel it, really feel it. But don’t dwell on it. Don’t get out a sleeping bag and tent and set up camp there. Feel it in your whole body and then let it go.
Stay away from the news and negative social media
It’s good to stay informed but keep watching the news to a minimum. Avoid negative social media posts. I suggest unfollowing friends if they continually post bad news stories or negativity on their walls.
Be a Lover not a Hater
The current situation will bring out the best in people. It will bring out the worst in people. I think at this time even the strongest among us will experience anger and fear. Although it’s easy to feel angry when we see anti-social behaviour, let’s avoid being judgmental and shift our focus. We can also have some compassion for these people. Maybe they have mental health issues. Maybe they were abused as a child and that has left its mark. No-one knows what anyone else is going through or what anyone else has been through.
Change the subject
I noticed that a lot of the conversations I’ve been having with MSP are about the Coronavirus. I’ve suggested that we keep these conversations to a minimum and talk about other things where possible.
Focus on Good News
What good news is there? What good news can we share on social media?
As with most things there is a silver lining to this situation. Many people are having a much-needed rest, spending time with their families. There’s been reports of a reduction in pollution.
BBC News reports that “Researchers in New York told the BBC their early results showed carbon monoxide mainly from cars had been reduced by nearly 50% compared with last year” and “Both China and Northern Italy have also recorded significant falls in nitrogen dioxide, which is related to reduced car journeys and industrial activity. The gas is a serious air pollutant and also indirectly contributes to the warming of the planet.”
There are also so many positive initiatives coming to the forefront at this time and I’ll share some of those in a later post.
Dealing with bad days
“It will pass, whatever it is.” ― Idries Shah, Caravan of Dreams.
I’m not going to lie. There will be bad days, know that they will pass. As I mentioned in a previous post It’s Okay not to Be Okay. Allow yourself to feel the pain. Be gentle and compassionate with yourself.
This post was originally published on happiness-club.co.uk.
Samantha Brook is the founder of Happiness Club. She is passionate about learning to be Happy and helping other learn to be Happy. Samantha wants to help people all over the world by sharing her story and by sharing the tools, tips, tricks and techniques that have helped her along the way.
Image courtesy of taylor hernandez.
