Page 9 - Isolation Guide: LEP Special E-mag Edition v2

Spring, 2020 i
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therapist offers top tips on staying calm
ur therapist Oand writer
Gareth Fox talks us through howto stay
I coach how she was feeling about COVID-19. She is a very positive, successful business woman. “I’ve been research­ ing it. ” she said over Skype. “1 know it will only kill such a tiny percentage ofthe world’s population, but I’m still terri­ fied.” This is a very common response at the moment.
It is true that there are lots ofarticles online stating the banality ofthis virus. One such article from Psychol­ ogy Today describes corona- virus as “exclusively a moral panic," highlighting that only“0.0001 percentofthe worlds population has been infected.” But why are these facts not reducing global fear?
If logic could defeat emo­ tion, myjob as a hypnothera­ pist would be extremely simple. “Spiders are more afraid ofyou than you of them” or “statistically speak­ ing more people die on the way to the airport than flying in planes” and that would be that. But it’s not that simple, as people who are affected by phobias can testify.
Your brain downloads and stores survival programs, such as fear and hunger, into the subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind isyour survival mind. It is constant­ ly making decisions behind the scenes, helping you avoid putting your hand on the hot stove, helpingyou drive the car while concentrating on what your friend is saying
in the passenger seat. And it will always overpoweryour conscious mind, which is your logical mind.
It does this because its number onejob is to help
you survive on this planet. If you have downloaded a pro­ gram that says “all spiders are dangerous” - a very com­ mon phobia, then no amount ofconscious reasoning will allow you to be in the same room as a spider, let alone scoop it into a glass and re­ lease it into the garden.
Look at it like this. Emo­ tion (fear in this case) is like a wild horse while logic is a completely inexperienced rider, t.rvinp to make it po
alm during current crisis.
c
I recently asked a client
where it doesn’t want to. Your thoughts are a class­
room full ofchildren - with­ out supervision they can create all kinds ofhavoc. But command them to do some­ thing and they will obey.
Change your perspec­ tive. You cannot control outside events, but you can decide how you want to feel about them and how to re­ spond.
Focus on the present.
The more you hypothesise about what could happen, the more you will feel out of control. When you find your mind wandering offdown the rabbit hole of“what if” bring yourself back to the present.
Mindfulness meditation is an excellent tool to keep
you grounded in the present. The aim ofmeditation is not
to have no thoughts, but to practice not engaging with them.
Look after yourself. Find an activity t hat is iust. for vou
that benefits your well-be­ ing. Try to do one thing each day which brings youjoy, whether it is going for a walk or reading a book. This act ofself-care will help you stay positive and reduce stress.
Talk about it. A problem shared is a problem halved. When you are faced with a crisis, talking about it with a friend or family member can help you gain perspective.
Make time to relax. True relaxation is an alien feeling for many of us. Take time out to dedicate to relaxing your mind and body - sleep does not count here! Relaxing activities such as slow-paced yoga classes online, guided meditation or hypnosis au­ dios stimulate the parasym­ pathetic nervous system
- the body’s “rest and digest” mode. This helps to reduce
the feelings ofstress and its impact.
□ For further information contact garethfox.rtt@gmail. com address.
Usevoaato relax durina COVID-19 oandemic (nhoto: MaiaHitii/GettvImaaesl
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