Corona: How to Stay in Balance

The Corona virus is not interested in borders. The pandemic shows us how much we are interconnected: It affects us all and causes worldwide turmoil.

You can read this article in German here.

We are not able to cut us off from the general upheaval. Even when we stay in our home we are affected by the turbulent energies around us. They seep through the walls; unseen but not unfelt.

Electronic devices are affected by these energies, too: I have some trouble with my telephone lines for example.

Corona: Panic is everwhere

Our governments are afraid and thus react very strongly to the virus: The lockdowns cut into many of our civil rights. Even though this seems to be the only way to manage the infection I invite you to look critically at what is happening: Isolation causes fear.

When we are fearful we are easily manipulated. The currency of control is panic. When we are in panic our brains don´t function properly.

This is why it is so important to be aware of ourselves and take responsibility for our wellbeing. We don´t have to drown in our fears. We can choose to let them go. When we are not afraid we can look at the situation more rationally and find better ways to cope with it.

Less structure causes more insecurity

Our structures crumble because schools are closed and many of us are staying at home. When our familiar routines change we feel insecure. This insecurity adds to the fear.

The security we need we can only find in ourselves. Remember: You create more of what you concentrate on: We are still creating our own reality in every single moment.

Why did we create this situation?

We are changing our way of creating profoundly in this shift in consciousness. We are not only testing to let go of structures; because of this virus we also address topics like interconnectedness and differences.

Things are going to change a lot in the near future: Climate change and earth changes are still going on. We show ourselves for example how beautiful our planet can be when we stop polluting it. See this article: Venice reports dolphins and fishes.

Of course this is an uncomfortable situation. For me this virus is a dry run for challenges to come. We are preparing for more change whether we like it or not.

My daughter did this collage

You can help yourself

The general distress is very real at the moment. To deny it and to push it away just makes it worse. I feel the unrest and agitation also. To cope with it I try to be as conscious in my daily life as I can be.

Have you realized that it is much easier to become agitated at the moment?

Take a closer look at the people surrounding you. My normally very calm husband expresses much more excitement than usual. I also get flustered much easier. It does not matter whether we think we have good reasons to get angry. For example:

• The neighbours are too loud
• Trump posts one of his crazy tweets and is lying to his people
• The situation of the refugees in Turkey and Syria is unbearable

The reason for this agitation is that it is so much easier for us to engage extremes in this situation. The longer it continues the more we should be aware of the energy we are expressing.

Buffering other people´s feelings

I also try to evaluate where my feelings are coming from. I ask myself if the agitation I feel is coming from myself or form outside of me. My own feelings are signals that give me much needed information about myself. Other people´s feelings I can buffer. But I can buffer them only if I am aware that they are not mine. This is why being conscious and aware is so important right now.

Clients talk to me because they have a hard time coping with their fear.

Client example: The hamster wheel

One client engaged me because she could not stop worrying. She obsessed about her dog and what she would do if Germany would also have a general lockdown.

We discovered that she was not in the present but in a spiral of fear. She realized that she was projecting her anxieties onto her dog. This was only natural. Her fear needed to be expressed and found something tangible to manifest itself.

After our conversation my client was more conscious of what she was doing and how she expressed her fears. She now tries to anchor herself better in the here and now when she becomes aware of running in the hamster wheel of anxiety again.

A lot of us project our fears onto people we are close to. Many children call their parents more often now and vice versa. I do that, too. It helps me to stay calm and centred.

Creating nightmare scenarios does not help anybody. We are just putting energy into a possible negative future. Do we really want to do that?

The key to our reality is the present

Only when we are in the present we are able to cope effectively with our challenges. We have to remember that we are the only ones who can take care of ourselves. The better we feel the more grounded we are. And the better we can cope with the unrest around us and support others.

How do I stay in balance?

Together with my family we evaluate what helps us. We set small highlights every day to keep up our spirit. We express our fears and share what we can do to feel calm.

Good food is important for the morale. This is why we prepare special dishes and comfort food.

• We make big fruit salads
• We bake fresh bread or waffles
• We enjoy Tacos, pancakes and homemade pizza

It is okay to feel panicky

Because I work on being more aware I realize quite fast: Ah, this is a panic moment. Then I immediately go into the present: There is no reason for me to feel any fear. The fridge is full and my family is well. I wave the fear goodbye and let it go.

How can I come to the present fast?

Fear is only a feeling! It anticipates something that could happen in the future. When we anchor ourselves in the present it can dissipate quickly. I put together some ideas that help me to stay in the present:

1. I move my body

Exercise helps me to feel my body better. This makes it easier to distance myself from the turbulent energies around me. My chores in house and garden ground me.

2. I do things I enjoy:

• I use my happy music playlist.
• Distraction: I love to read a good book and thus teleport myself into another reality. I also enjoy foolish computer games.
• I wear my happy socks knitted by my aunt (see picture below)

3. I stay in touch

with friends and family virtually: By touching bases regularly I know what they are up to and how they are.

4. Don´t forget to laugh!

A friend was very relieved when we joked on the phone. She told me that many people she encounters seem to have lost their humour nowadays. I am blessed with great friends and acquaintances: They can still laugh about themselves and the situation.

Laughing relaxes the atmosphere considerably.

It does not matter why you laugh: Whether you binge-watch comedies or make bad jokes. Have fun fooling around!

How do I treat people who are in panic?

Trying to soothe them by repeating: Everything will be okay, will not help. If you talk to people who are in panic this does not change anything: They only feel misunderstood.

You are not supposed to echo these people and fuel their panic! It is important to take them and their reality seriously. You show your support and compassion that way. Then you are on the same page and you can truly support them.

Acceptance opens our hearts

You make a big difference when you interact with people by showing no judgement only acceptance. That way you make a much bigger positive impact on their reality than you might believe.

To illustrate this I use the picture of waves that ripple outwards when I throw a pebble into a pond. Everybody who is taking care of himself and shows acceptance for himself and others causes more positive ripples.

Doing something tangible can make a big difference

Ask somebody in distress: What can I do to make you feel better?

Example:

A friend´s adult daughter was almost out of her mind with panic. Her mother stayed calm and asked her what would help her. The daughter wanted to go shopping. So this is what they did.

Don´t let the Corona crisis take away your balance

You don´t have to react to the fear and panic surrounding you. You have a choice. When you are not comfortable look closely where your feelings come from and let them go.

Come back to the present when you have lost your balance. Then you are able to take care of yourself and your family much more effectively.

Most of us will catch the virus sooner or later. When you get sick it is even more important to stay balanced. The less fear you feel the less symptoms you will create. When you are calm you enable your body to heal yourself much better.

I am there to support you during this challenging time. I do sessions via Skype or Facetime. Feel free to contact me for a half  hour of free consultation.

Stay calm and balanced!

Pictures: Private und Pixabay

© Inge Schumacher