Our nerve impulses travel at a speed of 4 miles per hour. A sneeze can travel at 100 miles per hour. The earth’s circumference is 25,000 miles. That means, a nerve impulse would take 260 days to circle the globe, while the germs in a sneeze would, in theory, only take 10.5 days to accomplish this feat.
However, once the impulse between your brain and your finger tip reaches the “send” button on your device (phone, laptop, etc.), an electrical impulse is released that flies around the world at 186,400 miles per second! To put that into perspective, fear can travel much, much faster than a virus. We are seeing that now the world over.
On the other hand, this transmission speed applies equally to hope, healthy perspective-taking, comfort, and connection. All of these skills make us capable of outpacing even the fastest virus. So, let’s look together at how we can accomplish spreading these positive energies as together we face an invisible and disruptive foe: Help to turn anxiety into stronger connections with yourself and with others.
Go Forest Bathing -
Practice Forest Bathing - Forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku in Japanese, where it is actively practiced) means to walk through and breath in the forest’s atmosphere. Lowered blood pressure and pulse rate, lower levels of cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone), and greater activity in our self-soothing, calming nervous system, which is called the parasympathetic system. And, the published scientific research showed these effects developed after walking in the forest for only 16-21 minutes. Happy bathtime!
Practice Solitude - We all live in two worlds - the world within, known only to ourselves, and the world we share with others. For many of us, we actively avoid connecting to the world within. Instead, we frequently, sometimes excessively, and sometimes desperately, seek comfort, validation, and love exclusively through our social connections in the world. Now, with Covid-19 limiting our time out in our well-known social world, it may be a good time to explore what lies inside each of us, to strengthen our inner connections. Get yourself a journal or simply a stack of printer paper. Sit for 15-minutes each day and record, without censoring or judging the quality of your writing, what the thoughts and emotions are that are coursing through your mind and body. Within a week, you’ll become more intimately acquainted with yourself and gain a valuable perspective on what feeds your fears, your worries, and what fuels your aspirations and your dreams.
Practice Empathy - Covid-19 has spread the sense that we are alone, cut off from each other, and unseen. One client fearfully wondered how long it would take people to notice if he were to succumb to the virus? So, when you reach out, whether by text, email, phone, Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime, take a few precious moments to sincerely and with empathy ask the other, “How are you doing?” Don’t settle for the simple answer, “I’m fine.” Ask with your heart and not your head. Your connection will be deeper and potentially much more rewarding.
I trust you’ll find this post helpful. We’ll get through this time together. Feel free to share this post with others.
dsa