Now is when you need clarity of thought the most. 

If you have access to social media and/or any sort of media outlet, like us, you have been inundated with news coverage on ongoing health concerns around the world. 

Regardless of how you were able to maintain an objective outlook and stick to the facts at the beginning, after a few days of constantly being fed negative news, it is hard not to experience anxiety, worry, and fear. 

How does one fight against such thoughts, especially when we are encouraged to isolate ourselves and stay indoors? This short duration of just a few days has most of us contemplating how we ever survived without social contact. 

While we acknowledge the anxiety, worry, and fear that surrounds us, here are a few ways I use to maintain a clear head amidst the chaos. 

1. Read. See this as a chance to catch up on all the reading you have been meaning to do. I don’t know about you, but I have a stack of at least 20 books and magazines I excitedly purchased but have been sitting on my bedside table for months(!) now is the time to tackle these good reads. Reading calms me because it allows me to temporarily leave my jam-packed head, but if there is another activity that achieves the same effect on you, then do that. Is it baking? exercising? drawing? You know best what can help you take your mind off things.

   
   

2. Take a breather. As mentioned, it is tough being isolated at home, but breathing in fresh air even for 10-20 minutes is going to help declutter your mind. So, crack a window, step out onto your balcony and stretch your limbs, or if you live in a condo building with a private park, go for a stroll while maintaining a safe distance from others sharing the space. 
   
   

3. Look up and forward. It’s easy to get stuck thinking about the worries of the present. Will I be able to keep my job? How much value have my stocks lost? How am I going to pay for my home? Do we have enough food stocked up? Thinking about the future helps to reassure you that this too, shall pass. I have been observing that there are still “bright spots” and in-demand services such as household goods, food delivery, other delivery services, and online/digital content to keep everyone sane. If you are reading this and are thinking to yourself... ”well, I can’t get a job in food delivery,” or, “I can’t digitize my whole business in a week!” If this is the internal conversation you are having with yourself, I would beg to differ. When we tell ourselves we can’t do something, the root of this perception is that we won’t do it, not that we can’t do it. Allow me to illustrate this with two examples.
   
   This is like me saying I can’t swim. I have the body as everyone else who can swim, so clearly, it’s because I will not take the time to learn it. 
   
   I also can’t speak Spanish. It’s because I lacked the persistence to attend all the weekly night courses I signed up for.
   
   You see my point. It’s not that you can’t, it’s simply because you won’t. 

To tell the truth, I spent a good few days wallowing in fear about how the uncertainty in the world is going to impact my business, my staff, my family, but worrying has never done anything or moved anyone closer to their goals, so sharing how I am coping with these episodes that I feel a good portion of us are experiencing right now also helps to (selfishly) relieve my stress.

The positive thought and encouragement I want to leave you with is to consider what else you could be doing with all that time you are investing in worrying and dwelling in all the negative news out there and focusing on how you will come out stronger on the other end, as we progress towards normalcy step by step.

I suggest writing down a list of what’s worrying you, and on then solving each of these worries with what you can do to rectify the situation. Even if the solution isn’t immediate, working towards a solution will relieve you of the confusion that is clouding your mind.

Imagine what would happen if you actually took the time to do it now, while everyone else is stuck? You will emerge a more focused, willful, stronger you.