Scared? It’s a good thing

For the last year not only this country but the whole world has gone through an incredible strain. For many people it's not over — the stress for many is getting worse, while others are managing to stay afloat. For some year 2020 meant slowing down of their business, while for others it meant death of their business, and for the truly unfortunate ones the past 15 months of the pandemic brought loss of their family members and loved ones.

This is a crisis that a lot of people feared — and feared for the right reason: this is a sort of World War of our time. For many of us who grew up in times of lasting peace, relative abundance and seeming world of limitless career and choice possibilities — this is a crisis and we have to respond accordingly. Our life habits and job skills, past ways of thinking and acting of yesterday will not apply tomorrow. What are the values that will remain? Which are the habits that will remain viable? These are the questions many of us — possibly all of us are trying to process, either openly or silently.

Here is a bold proposal: (what if) this crisis is a huge opportunity in disguise: it's an opportunity to reset ourselves, having looked at what really matters to us. This is a chance, albeit a forced one — to change our ways where needed: to reinvent ourselves, to re-create ourselves with new sets of skills and habits, new sets of rules; needless to say — we don't get younger (well, nobody ever does, so this cliche probably doesn't apply neither here nor anywhere ever at all). To face and manage new challenges we will need to develop new muscles, new skills, new habits of thinking and behavior.

And if and when it happens that you cannot breathe because you're anxious and you're scared because you're concerned for the future of you and your loved ones — find ways to make yourself feel better! Reset your mind, refresh your emotions, reboot your psychology. Spend some time outside: go for a jog in a park, if you can jog — go for a walk, brisk or slow, with or without your favorite music. Do some push-ups, drink a glass of water, take a contrast shower, meditate, brainstorm, cook a simple yet delicious dinner, call and check on your friends, spend time with your pet playing, et cetera…

Get to the bottom of this — because there is a way out and if you don't find it then you have to invent one. Find that way. Invent it. Refresh yourself. Reset your life.

Good luck to you! Till next time.