Sad to say that our information program on March 28 and our intention to move forward with our 16-week depression and anxiety recovery program has been cancelled due to COVID 19. We are looking into and seeking funding for an online interactive, and one-on-one program also. Stay safe everyone! Cheers for now, Karl.
The world is on high alert with the Coronavirus Pandemic: The Stock Market, Industry, Education, Entertainment, Food Service and Travel are concerned. So are entire countries and their residents.
Fact is that sensational news “sells.” It can “scare,” too.
That’s normal!
Some have no relevant background or experience to help them process the myriad of news releases in a logical or rational manner—so they panic.
That’s normal, too.
Some lack a solid base of health knowledge that can lead to failure in applying the recommended prevention strategies daily.
Unfortunately, that’s normal, as well.
So, with news of the Coronavirus Pandemic—which is no joke by any stretch of the imagination, many are anxious, worried, fearful—even panicked.
The emotion of fear is a signal to alert you to danger so you can take necessary steps to keep yourself safe—unless it’s an imaginary fear and you are in no real danger. Hung onto or mismanaged, fear tends to “downshift the brain,” re-directing its energy and attention to subconscious parts of the brain where the stress responses are housed— such as Fight-Flight, Tend-Befriend, and Conserve-Withdraw. This also increases a risk for making poor choices outside of logical and rational thinking, and for "shooting from the hip.” In addition, it can suppress the brain-body immune systems, which is the last thing you want to do.
You do need to implement recommended precautions to help keep you safe—and to help others stay safe, including pets. Build good habits around these precautions to use for the rest of your life—especially handwashing! However, it’s best to avoid panicking.
Do you remember nursery rhymes about the little pigs? Well, I think of Proactive, Prudence, and Prevention as three little pigs. I see them in my mind’s eye, each wearing a little harness with their name engraved on it in large gold letters. They look cute on such tiny little piglets! Their names remind me to do whatever I can to stay safer day after day without becoming ongoingly fearful and downshifting my brain.
Guess what? You can too!
- Arlene R. Taylor, PhD
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