COVID-19 CHECK-IN: LIVING PEACEFULLY WITH UNCERTAINTY

Be fully present. Feel your heart. Engage in the next moment without an agenda.

~Pema Chodron

It’s been a week since my original Covid-19 Post – Coronavirus Craziness A Peaceful Living Wellness Approach to a Public Health Epidemic.  It seems like it’s been a month! So much has changed and yet we are mired in even more uncertainty.

I have been through a lot of uncertain times in my life.  Some of them were individual to me – graduate school, mounting student loans, few job prospects… But, others were shared by the world – the housing crash of 2008. 

The one thing I can say with certainty from living through uncertainty, is that NOTHING IS EVER CERTAIN.

I am, by upbringing, a planner.  I was taught that plans will give a person security.  And when things did not go according to plan, I had better have another plan! 

Unfortunately, even the best laid plans can go awry. Remember the famous line from the Robert Burns Poem “To a Mouse:” 

“The best laid plans of mice and men go often askew and leave us nothing but pain for promised joy.” (English translation)

That WAS my way of life. It was my go-to when it came to the stress brought on by uncertainty. If I didn’t have a plan I would be left in a state of nothing, but pain and insecurity.

Needless to say, I do not subscribe to that way of thinking anymore! Through the years of my healing journey I learned to use plans to give me direction, but to also flex when they do not go as I thought they would.

5 STEPS TO LIVING PEACEFULLY WITH UNCERTAINTY DURING THIS UNCERTAIN TIME.

During the pandemic of Covid-19 there are very few things of which we can be certain. People are suffering with the unknown of if they will still have a job when this is over; if they will still have a business; if their kids will have a high-school or college graduation. We just don’t know what the virus is going to do.

People don’t know if they too will get sick if they go on a necessary errand. They don’t know if their loved ones will remain well.

What is your reaction when I say, “It’s okay – you are going to be okay?”

Let’s go through this step-by-step:

Step 1: If you are taking proper precautions you will be okay

The reason the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization are telling people to use good hygiene and practice social distancing is because these steps work to stop the progress of Coronavirus and other cold and flu viruses. 

FOR A FULL OVERVIEW OF THE STEPS READ HERE

Step 2: Accept the situation as it is

Stay in each moment and be in a place of acceptance. This is a particularly interesting time to do this because we are all sheltering-in-place. We cannot go outside our own walls with our bodies. Take this time to go even deeper inside. Explore inside your heart.

You may be surprised and delighted at what you find there! 

One of the spiritual teachers I turn to for guidance, Pema Chodron, says that “the practice of being fully present, feeling your heart, and greeting the next moment with an open mind…is a beautiful way to claim your spiritual warriorship…to claim your courage, your kindness, your strength.” ~ From Living Beautifully With Uncertainty and Change.

Step 3: Concentrate on the present instead of the future

Looking into the future right now is likely to bring on a bout of the “what ifs” and the “when can we’s?”  The “what ifs” in particular are steeped in fear. Remember, most of the “what if” fears are actually False Evidence Appearing Real. Rein in those thoughts of the future and instead think about what you can do today in this very moment! 

Even our financial fears can be calmed by taking proper precautions and concentrating on what we can do in this very moment.

RELATED: HOW TO MAINTAIN FINANCIAL HEALTH DURING CORONAVIRUS

Step 4: Create a gratitude list

Deepen your commitment to being in the present moment and feeling your heart by creating a list of the things you are grateful for right now. Are you healthy? Are you safe? Are you comfortable? 

Sometimes you feel as though you are not any of those things… 

Even if I feel like you have nothing to be grateful for I say to myself, “look down and see your two feet, look at your hands, look at your eyes, be grateful that you have those and they are uniquely yours.” 

As part of this list include things you “get” to do right now. These are things you may not normally have time to do.

Also include ways you can (and do?) still connect with the outside world. Can you wave to your neighbors from a distance? Can you connect with friends and family via computer and phone? 

RELATED: LIVING IN GRATITUDE: LIVING IN LIMBO

Step 5: Practice kindness and support

Practicing kindness boosts your immune system. So, it’s a win-win! Give extra hugs to your kids and extra compassion if they are having a hard time adjusting to e-learning and social isolation. Wave to and smile at your neighbors. 

If you are well, offer to do grocery shopping for someone who is immune system compromised or in another high-risk category. Call relatives or friends who are living alone – or just feeling lonely – to let them know you care about them.

And don’t forget to receive kindness and support as well. This is a time when we can use the extra-nurturing.

Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help if you are feeling down. Allow people to give you the compassion and nurturing you deserve!

Step 6: HAVE FUN!!! 

Run around trying to tickle your kids or chase your doggos! 

Dance like no-one is watching – because they’re not 😉  

Jump on the bed! And, have a pillow fight!

It’s okay to let your guard down, stop being so productive and just have some good, plain fun 🙂

Step 6: HAVE FUN!!! 

Run around trying to tickle your kids or chase your doggos! 

Dance like no-one is watching – because they’re not 😉  

Jump on the bed! And, have a pillow fight!

It’s okay to let your guard down, stop being so productive and just have some good, plain fun 🙂

IT’S OKAY TO SET YOUR PLAN ASIDE & LIVE WITH UNCERTAINTY

Living peacefully with uncertainty has become a way of life for me. The Mindfulness and Mindset practices of living in the present moment with a heart of gratitude and kindness serve me well every day. 

Has the rapid uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic caused me some stress and uncomfortable thoughts. Yes, of course it has. But, only for a few moments here and there. And when my mind goes into worry and fear I use Mindfulness and Mindset to sooth my mind, body and spirit.

How are you doing with the uncertainty of the times?

Let me know if I can offer you kindness and support! If you are looking for a non-judgemental, supportive group, join me in my Empowered Through Peace Community on Facebook.

With Love & Light,

Jen

JEN ROBINSON

Jen Robinson is the creative force behind the wellness brand Peaceful Living Wellness which is dedicated to providing a wide-variety of high-quality wellness information. Jen is also the creator of the Peaceful Living Wellness life coaching division, and offers workshops, individual and group coaching as well as retreats where she guides women in using Mindfulness and Mindset to build their inner strength on a foundation of inner peace.  Jen also is the co-creator of the business coaching brand CEO Mindset that guides entrepreneurs in building their businesses without burning out.  

The latest addition to her repertoire is that she recently signed-on as the Wellness Director for the business development company Wealthy Women Entrepreneurs .  She is very excited to be leading this group of dynamic women entrepreneurs into success in their businesses and lives!  

The most important part of Jen’s life are her two very active teenagers, AJ & Layna! 

Jen’s Mindfulness and Mindset techniques inform her business, her parenting and her life!

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