STOP, DROP and ROLL...Strategies for putting out the fire of fear and building mental toughness in the face of a pandemic
STOP, DROP, and ROLL…
Strategies for putting out the fire of fear and building mental toughness in the face of a pandemic
With the all access to the 24/7 news cycle, breaking news apps and twitter we are constantly inundated with negative images and information. Regardless of what we believe or think we are taking in… We Are Affected. To be affected means that we cannot help but internalize this information or the energy around it. Take for example the COV-19, Cornavirus outbreak. Our Office Manager said that while she was shopping at Costco this week in Draper, Utah that water and Clorox were flying off the shelves, notably because people were saying they are preparing for “the worst-case scenario.” Although “being prepared” is important, being perpetually hyper-vigilant and hyper-aroused around our future focused fears is robbing us of the present moment.
Our brains are highly perceptive to the negative energy and information that is perpetuated in our culture. We feel the energy and it makes us afraid. Our brains take in the information and create meaning, and essentially create fearful narratives about future possibilities. We don’t just think about these narratives and scenarios, our bodies start to react to them like we are in actual danger right now. We can become anxious and or shut down because of this fear. AND all this fear because of the possibility of suffering without the actual suffering. Sounds like we are needlessly creating suffering for ourselves when we don’t actually have to. So, the question is… Can I be prepared and not fearful? Am I safe right now or can I create safety for myself? Of course we can, by keeping things in perspective, taking a step back and being mindful of our own body responses. You can feel safe when you are safe.
Do you remember fire drills as a kid? STOP, DROP, and ROLL? Think about this in terms of our culture of creating fearful narratives, a type of “fire” so to speak. First, STOP – stop what you are doing and pause regularly. Notice what you are feeling and sensing. Awareness of your state of being is important in identifying how the energy you are taking in is affecting you and your body. If you are activated and anxious, STOP and breathe. Allow your body to calm. Second, DROP- drop the assumptions that the media “knows” the reality of everything. They don’t. DROP your belief that ALL is lost, and remember that things generally work out. We are resilient beings with a strong history of survival. Third, ROLL- Roll out a proactive plan for being prepared, not a reactive one. If we aren’t reactive we can problem solve and think better, we can connect and process. Think of proactive being like bottled water and reactive being like a soda can. When the world gets more and more negative energy circulating it “shakes up” our experience. We can either be a bottle of water that, when it’s “shaken up” disperses energy and gracefully adjusts, letting it roll off our backs, or we can be a soda can that is always exploding reactively when shaken. STOP-DROP-and ROLL your way into internal steadiness and proactive calm. Remember to breathe…we’ve got this!