Overcoming fears–yesterday was my first time going back into the dentist’s office for a cleaning? At first, I was hesitant, wondering what the chances of coming into close contact with someone – that refuse to practice social distancing – or wearing a mask.
So, to calm down my fears, I picked up the telephone and called the office asking what procedures they had in place to prevent becoming in contact with other people.
Of course, I was given the necessary information to somewhat calm my fears. It is terrifying in today’s environment.
Especially when some people just don’t care to follow instruction—because it violates their rights, so they think.
What about everyone else? To really get past my fears, I looked to ways to do so.
Below is a summary of what I found in articles.
Overcoming Fear During The Pandemic
Fear is a common emotion being felt today as many worry about the extent of a COVID pandemic second wave and its ramifications.
Not being armed with enough facts is a common denominator of fear. And that is certainly the case about the exact trajectory of the virus in the coming months. It raises such questions as: How bad can another spike get? How will it affect my personal life, work, and loved ones? Will this virus continue forever?!
Here are six steps to help you thrive through COVID fears that are so prevalent today:
1. What exactly are your fears? A key part of tamping down anxiety is clarifying the specifics.
What aspect of COVID is the biggest trigger for you? If you don’t know exactly what you’re worrying about, you’re compounding a vague blanket of stress.
2. Put things in perspective. The coronavirus is conceivably the most significant event to occur in a lifetime.
As such, it can be easy to believe an event like this will last for an eternity; no one knows the duration of COVID.
3. Know what you can and cannot control. Knowing the difference between what you do and don’t have the power to change can mean much greater happiness. And that in turn can give you greater confidence as an added outcome.
4. You allow your strength and resilience to overcome fear. If you’ve experienced a layoff, consider taking motivational steps to counter the negative impact of COVID.
5. Adopt “gratitude.” It can be difficult to shift gears and be appreciative when suffering or worried. But if you can learn how to experience gratitude, you will likely improve your mental and physical health.
6. It’s understandable to experience anxiety in the world we now face. But until more facts become available, you can better manage COVID fears with new habits and empowering tools that improve all aspects of your wellbeing
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them… they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight. ~Orison Swett Marden
Fear is a habit, so is self-pity, defeat, anxiety, despair, hopelessness, and resignation. You can eliminate all of these negative habits with two simple resolves,” I can! and I will!”
What would life be if we had no courage to do anything?
When will it end?
Honestly, it’s impossible to say if and when the coronavirus will die down because it’s a totally new virus, and therefore unpredictable, says Faheem Younus, MD, the chief of infectious diseases at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health.
But pandemics have happened before, and they eventually pass as they become more contained, and as vaccines are developed and distributed. But researchers do look at past pandemics to make very baseline predictions about when it might end. In the past, pandemics have typically lasted between 12 and 36 months.
That being the case, I am staying as far as I can from foolish people that refuse to follow social distancing and mask-wearing instructions.
Go ahead and kill yourself, but don’t expect sympathy when you get sick.
Today I choose life.