“When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where the power is.”
I am somebody who has been in the trenches with anxiety over the last decade. I am also somebody who has, through counseling and mindset changes, been able to climb my way out of it. During my journey of overcoming my anxiety, I have learned how important mindset changes are as well as how a positive perspective can change how you process uncertainty.
Anxiety is high for many right now because there is an incredible amount of things in our lives that are completely out of our control. Right now in this fear-filled time we’re in, your perspective is more important than ever.
Like many of you, I find my mind filling with thoughts about what this coronavirus is going to do and how it’s going to impact my life, my friends’ and family’s lives, and the economy as a whole. I start worrying about my daughter being stuck at home without the social interaction that she thrives off of for a month or more. I wonder how my pregnant, full-time work-from-home self is going to deal with having a very full schedule every day with her home. I worry that we’re going to run out of toilet paper or basic necessities and we aren’t going to be able to get them.
But then I remember.
Perspective changes attitude and contains anxiety.
These next four to eight weeks dealing with canceled schools, events, and social distancing is going to cause a lot of distress and inconvenience. We all know that. In order to keep you mind as at ease as possible, try to point your thoughts in the direction of what you gain throughout this crisis.
- You gain valuable time with your family that you wouldn’t necessarily have gotten before. You get to spend time over the next few weeks learning with them, teaching them, making memories with them.
- You have time to get your home organized or actually DO the to-do list you’ve been waiting to have time for.
- Do you have any aspirations you have been waiting to take on? Now is the time!
The list goes on. When you take a moment to change your perspective to understand the good that can come with this, the anxiety of the unknown begins to diminish.
Don’t waste a thought on something you can’t control. Instead, put that focus on things you CAN control.
In addition to staying positive and focus on the good aspects of this situation, you should also try to put thoughts and energy into the things you can control.
- You can stay inside and practice social distancing for the next month in order to slow the spread.
- You can purchase toiletries and groceries in normal amounts on a normal cadence in order to keep the strong supply chains that big businesses have in place to keep America running. This can also help families who need supplies know that they’re going to be able to get them, which will lessen the panic.
- You can wash your hands and teach your kids how germs work. This is something they can remember now and for the rest of their lives so that hand washing doesn’t just become a new fad when a pandemic hits.
- If you have “excess” of supplies, money, or food, and you feel inclined to help those less fortunate, you can donate it to a number of local places that can make a huge difference.
- You can thank workers who don’t have the option to stay home.–the grocery store workers, the medical professionals, the city workers, and everyone else who keeps things running. Spread the positivity and gratitude!
The point is, we’re all living in a big pile of uncertainty. There are things we can control, which includes our mindset and perspective. Keep the positivity rolling through this challenging time. Be a light in others’ lives. Lend a helping hand where you can. And know that we are all in this together.
And if you have any great ideas about what to do with your children over the next few weeks, please share! We have a lot of parents and caregivers (myself included) who are going to need all the ideas, help, camaraderie and support we can get!
Make sure you never miss out on a parenting or community-related blog post: sign up to receive Cedar Rapids Moms posts in your inbox. While you’re at it, join our VIP List to ensure you’re one of the first to know about upcoming Cedar Rapids Moms events and promotions!!