Feelings . . .
It's been just three weeks since the declaration of national emergency because of COVID-19. Compared to the "stay-at-home" order or official lockdown that has been going on in many parts of Asia and Europe, ours has not been as strict and long. Yet, many fellow countrymen already are feeling extremely restless. Many are still defying the orders of the government and ignoring the advice of experts to continue with rather risky activities for times like now. Some, although they are staying home as told, are having a very hard time.
A lot of people say they feel sad. Many say they are anxious and stressed out. Some people are flat out angry. "I don't like this. I am really upset." are common responses. However, if you ask them to spell out what exactly their feelings are and why, many of them are incapable of detailing it. It is just a big, convoluted mix of emotions that they feel. People are overwhelmed. So overwhelmed that they are almost unable to function normally.
By some accident, I came across a free online course offered by Yale University called "Science of Well Being". Given I have some extra time now, out of curiosity, I signed up to check it out. In the material of the first week, it already offered me some insight to the above phenomenon.
To spare you from the lengthy explanations from the class, what researchers have found is this:
The more capable a person is in clarifying the feelings he is experiencing, the easier it would be for him to manage his emotions. In turn, the better someone is in managing his emotions, the higher would be his ability to persevere through difficult times.
BINGO!
So, to help improve one's ability to cope with hard times, one can just start with learning to spell out your feelings better! It is simple, but not necessarily easy at first. But practice makes perfect. Since we have some extra time now, maybe we can all work on growing our own ability?
Sit yourself down at a quiet corner in a comfortable position and do some deep breathing. Do some stretches to relax your body, if it helps you. Spend a few minutes to take inventory of your day. What kind of day was it? How are you feeling? You may come across some bold, vague emotions at first. Stay calm. Take a deep breath. Think back to trace it to its cause. What happened to make you feel this way? Then, disentangle the feelings and break them down in finer details. List out what you feel and why.
Know what is pushing your buttons.
All too often, we react to things right away with our emotions way before our brains even kick in. If we can be more mindful of our own state of being, we may be more aware of emotional overreactions that are less than constructive. Once you become aware of those "buttons", it is then up to you to allow those buttons to be pushed, or, even better, to continue to exist -- or not.
At a time when it is easy for us to feel helpless and that we have lost control over our lives, please remember that it is NOT true. Staying home is not a passive act. It was what helped ending the SARS epidemic seventeen years ago. It has been proven to be an effective way to starve the corona virus of more new hosts. We just have to have everybody to cooperate and be patient. The more diligent we are of our collective efforts, the sooner this will be over.
Stay home like you life depends on it.
Wear a mask like a superhero if you are out in public.
Our future is in our own hands. Please wash them thoroughly and frequently.
A lot of people say they feel sad. Many say they are anxious and stressed out. Some people are flat out angry. "I don't like this. I am really upset." are common responses. However, if you ask them to spell out what exactly their feelings are and why, many of them are incapable of detailing it. It is just a big, convoluted mix of emotions that they feel. People are overwhelmed. So overwhelmed that they are almost unable to function normally.
By some accident, I came across a free online course offered by Yale University called "Science of Well Being". Given I have some extra time now, out of curiosity, I signed up to check it out. In the material of the first week, it already offered me some insight to the above phenomenon.
To spare you from the lengthy explanations from the class, what researchers have found is this:
The more capable a person is in clarifying the feelings he is experiencing, the easier it would be for him to manage his emotions. In turn, the better someone is in managing his emotions, the higher would be his ability to persevere through difficult times.
BINGO!
So, to help improve one's ability to cope with hard times, one can just start with learning to spell out your feelings better! It is simple, but not necessarily easy at first. But practice makes perfect. Since we have some extra time now, maybe we can all work on growing our own ability?
Sit yourself down at a quiet corner in a comfortable position and do some deep breathing. Do some stretches to relax your body, if it helps you. Spend a few minutes to take inventory of your day. What kind of day was it? How are you feeling? You may come across some bold, vague emotions at first. Stay calm. Take a deep breath. Think back to trace it to its cause. What happened to make you feel this way? Then, disentangle the feelings and break them down in finer details. List out what you feel and why.
Know what is pushing your buttons.
All too often, we react to things right away with our emotions way before our brains even kick in. If we can be more mindful of our own state of being, we may be more aware of emotional overreactions that are less than constructive. Once you become aware of those "buttons", it is then up to you to allow those buttons to be pushed, or, even better, to continue to exist -- or not.
At a time when it is easy for us to feel helpless and that we have lost control over our lives, please remember that it is NOT true. Staying home is not a passive act. It was what helped ending the SARS epidemic seventeen years ago. It has been proven to be an effective way to starve the corona virus of more new hosts. We just have to have everybody to cooperate and be patient. The more diligent we are of our collective efforts, the sooner this will be over.
Stay home like you life depends on it.
Wear a mask like a superhero if you are out in public.
Our future is in our own hands. Please wash them thoroughly and frequently.
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