From Panic to Community: How to Create Hope in Uncertainty
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How are you feeling? Where are you at on this global emotional rollercoaster?
I can at least speak for myself when I say that I’ve felt pretty much every emotion on the spectrum in the past few weeks.
For me it started with denial, that this was really even happening. This escalated to panic, recognizing that hundreds of thousands of people and counting have been infected with COVID-19, while also knowing that our medical systems are not prepared to take care of so many people at one time. The panic grew watching the stock market plummet, and thinking about the loved ones in my life who are affected by that; even further when I went to the grocery store and was greeted by a scene straight out of a zombie-apocalypse movie.
My panic grew into anxiety, worrying about the future of the business I just started last year. Like most small business owners, I’m worried about if I’ll have the money to cover my expenses. I’m worried about my friends who have lost their jobs. I’m worried about touching ANYTHING, and I’m worried about everyone I love—and those in the world at large—who have a compromised immune system. After the anxiety phase mellowed, it melted right into sadness, my heart breaking for all the fear and pain in the world right now.
I felt overwhelmed, scared and honestly a bit helpless. I’ve learned that deep breathing helps, so I did what I always do, and tuned into my body. I spent some time just — being. Being with the stories flying around in my head; being with the unpleasant feelings weighing on my chest; being with the very real fears constantly reminding me of their presence.
Then something magical happened — I felt gratitude.
Even in the midst of the worst, there’s always something to be grateful for. I’m choosing to focus on gratitude for all that I do have. I’m choosing to enjoy today because I have control over how I feel and how I act.
Slowing down and checking in offered me the birds eye view. I was able to figure out which feelings were really mine, and which ones were being projected onto me by the media, family and friends, or even strangers in line at the grocery store.
This is absolutely not to say that my anxiety won’t poke its head up in the future, but knowing I have the tool of gratitude in these trying times to help me gain a little perspective is kinda comforting.
This practice of intentional gratitude has allowed me to focus on feeling grateful to have a community that loves and supports me, and for the technology that allows me to stay connected with that community. And, in a seemingly perverse way, I can even find space to be grateful for this challenging time, which has given me the opportunity to be innovative and to be a leader for my community in this moment of crisis.
I believe we are in a moment of radical collective transition—and it requires letting go of control.
Change isn’t birthed out of comfort. Change is birthed out of disruption — and boy are we being disrupted. Change can be scary, but it can also be the best thing that ever happened to us. What if this moment is happening for us, not happening to us?
The reality is, as much as we’d like to think we are in control of everything — we have never been. There have always been external factors affecting each and every one of us. How can we begin to find comfort in that? We can start by recognizing the fact that today there is equally as much uncertainty as there was a month ago. The only difference is today, it’s being thrown in our faces. Today, uncertainty is throwing a tantrum to let us all know that it’s here and it’s not going anywhere.
So what do we do about it?
What do we do when our children throw tantrums? We PAY ATTENTION. We ask ourselves, what do they want? Why are they screaming at me? What is it that I am supposed to take away from the gibberish coming out of their mouths? The world is screaming. Its people are screaming. What if we pay attention?
Tips for cultivating calm in the chaos:
We are being asked to slow down, check-in, and rethink how we have been living our lives. Here are some exercises we can incorporate in our everyday lives.
Gratitude journaling. Every morning, write a short list of things to be grateful for. They can be as small as the smell of fresh coffee, or as significant as a spouse or relationship.
Slow down. This means more than just stopping to smell the metaphorical roses—though it means that too. This is about appreciating the things that are going right for us.
Check-in. What if we tune-in and ask ourselves, what am I supposed to be learning from this? What are we all supposed to be learning from this?
Let go. What am I holding onto that might feel good to release, opening me up to greater possibilities? Which routines, practices, or judgments that I currently hold have possibly outlived their time? What can I do to help myself feel better and help my community feel better?
Come together. (Virtually, of course.) Connection is a BASIC human necessity. We all need it — and if you say you don’t you’re lying to yourself. It is so incredibly important for us to stay connected in general, but especially in this time of amplified uncertainty.
Community is how we get through this.
It is how we share our stories, our feelings, and our wisdom. It is how we relate to one another. Community is how we come out on the other side of this evolved and stronger than ever.
How can we turn this time of chaos into calm reflection and intentional action? How can we turn this time of pain into a time of healing? How can we — just possibly — embrace all the uncertainty and learn from it?
Perhaps the big lesson here is to embrace our growing pains together, and to collectively make the most of the time we are given. This means confronting our fears and growing together in the face of adversity. It means listening to the changes being asked of us and taking action on making this world a better place. It means realizing that our actions affect everyone and everything around us.
We’ve got this! We will get through this together. I choose to see a brighter future ahead.
Shannon is a life coach passionate about helping others discover their strengths, grow, and shine! She’s an active member, host, and lover of the Quilt community and the growth it inspires. Dancing & dogs give her life! Follow her on Instagram here.
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