THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF
Franklin Delano Roosevelt's potent reminder is one we need to take into account today as we face the disruption that the NOVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is causing. This quote is from his first inaugural address in 1933 as he and the country confront the Great Depression. I have provided a link to the full speech at the end of this article. It is well worth taking the time to read.
The emotion of fear is a destructive element with one quality that makes it far more dangerous. It is much, much more contagious than any epidemic. The empty paper shelves of American supermarkets are evidence of that as are the stock market routs of March, 2020.
There are many reports of how terrible things are and are going to be. The online community is full of dire forecasts for how long this pandemic will last, for the economy and for the stock market. However, anyone who thinks they know what will happen is living in an alternate reality. No one knows. Fearing things you do not know makes no sense. Fear is not a rational feeling. The fear most of us are experiencing makes this challenge far, far more difficult.
The contagious nature of fear causes us to panic more quickly than you can bat an eye. Why else would toilet paper panic take hold in a modern society. The companies that produce the toilet paper are not going out of business nor is it likely they will. It is an extreme and irrational response. (I heard on the news recently that people were actually calling 911 over toilet paper shortages!)
The coronavirus is not really what we are afraid of. It is dangerous for those with a depressed immune system but for most it involves relatively mild illness. Most of what we are afraid of is the unknown. This is an unprecedented development for all countries. We lose our sense of balance and stability. In that environment, fear is rampant and causes far more problems than the pandemic itself.
There are many reports of how terrible things are and are going to be. The online community is full of dire forecasts for how long this pandemic will last, for the economy and for the stock market. However, anyone who thinks they know what will happen is living in an alternate reality. No one knows. Fearing things you do not know makes no sense. Fear is not a rational feeling. The fear most of us are experiencing makes this challenge far, far more difficult.
The contagious nature of fear causes us to panic more quickly than you can bat an eye. Why else would toilet paper panic take hold in a modern society. The companies that produce the toilet paper are not going out of business nor is it likely they will. It is an extreme and irrational response. (I heard on the news recently that people were actually calling 911 over toilet paper shortages!)
The coronavirus is not really what we are afraid of. It is dangerous for those with a depressed immune system but for most it involves relatively mild illness. Most of what we are afraid of is the unknown. This is an unprecedented development for all countries. We lose our sense of balance and stability. In that environment, fear is rampant and causes far more problems than the pandemic itself.
It is natural to worry about the NOVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. But worry is one of those feelings that does not contribute anything positive to the situation. It only makes things worse. Put it out of your head. One way is to say the Serenity Prayer.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.
- Fear causes us to make exactly the wrong decisions. When a stock market panic is happening the very worst thing you can do is join in and sell your stock. When you have had a fall and are afraid you will fall again, we tend to make the wrong choice to restrict our activities making it actually more likely that we will fall. Strong emotions provide a very poor foundation for making decisions.
- Fear is intensely ungrounding. This is why it takes such a powerful hold over us. When we are ungrounded, we get detached from logic. It makes great sense to take steps to ground ourselves during these times, one of the reasons it is much better to take a walk than watch the news.
- Fear makes us physically unstable. It makes us feel sick. It takes over the nervous system in such a potent way that it creates more danger not less. It changes how the mind operates and makes it extremely difficult to concentrate on anything other than to obsessively watch events you have no control over.
Unbridled fear is toxic. Use the recommendations outlined in the Building Better Balance article on toxicity to help remove the toxic side effects of rampant fear. A link to that article is provided below.
The fear of falling.
Those older already know a lot about fear. It often rules our lives whether it be because of illness or aging. One of the most potent experiences as an older person is to fall. If you have had a fall, the immediate reaction is to be afraid of falling again. That fear causes us to pull back and restrict our activities, a course that actually makes it more likely that we will fall again. It is such a common and powerful feeling that fear of falling is now considered a concrete medical diagnosis.
A very effective way to handle that particular fear is to take steps to lower your fall associated risk. If you are afraid of falling, instead of restricting your activities, take balance classes. It is a question of deliberately choosing a different path, at first, not an easy thing to do.
Because many of us are being instructed to remain at home, DVD balance classes that you can take in your own home are particularly useful now. The Building Better Balance series of DVD classes are designed for that purpose. You can purchase them on this site.
A very effective way to handle that particular fear is to take steps to lower your fall associated risk. If you are afraid of falling, instead of restricting your activities, take balance classes. It is a question of deliberately choosing a different path, at first, not an easy thing to do.
Because many of us are being instructed to remain at home, DVD balance classes that you can take in your own home are particularly useful now. The Building Better Balance series of DVD classes are designed for that purpose. You can purchase them on this site.
Fear can be transforming if we use it to improve our lives.
How can we turn these powerful instincts away from panic? Above all we must understand that it takes strong discipline to turn the path just like it takes great effort to turn a large ship. Our minds and bodies will not want to. The fear emotion is so strong that even when we bring sense into our lives with our will, the outcome can be just as unstable as fear takes over again.
We have to wrestle fear to the ground. This takes a lot of effort but it is effort well worth the dividends that effort brings with it.
Take advantage of the adrenalin that fear gives us but put it to a better use. Often if I am very anxious about something in life, it makes me dance with more passion and strength. I express the fear adrenalin through movement. The fear dissipates and the dance is more profound. In these circumstances preparation is essential. That adrenalin would otherwise destabilize my movement. But if I have practiced the dance so much that my body knows it inside and out then the fear propels me to new emotional heights, turning a awful situation and transforming it into something beautiful.
We have to wrestle fear to the ground. This takes a lot of effort but it is effort well worth the dividends that effort brings with it.
Take advantage of the adrenalin that fear gives us but put it to a better use. Often if I am very anxious about something in life, it makes me dance with more passion and strength. I express the fear adrenalin through movement. The fear dissipates and the dance is more profound. In these circumstances preparation is essential. That adrenalin would otherwise destabilize my movement. But if I have practiced the dance so much that my body knows it inside and out then the fear propels me to new emotional heights, turning a awful situation and transforming it into something beautiful.
How to deal with unreasoning fear:
- Turn off the news whether on TV or online. Do not watch the stock market. Ignore asset reports for the time being.
- Be very careful driving. Be careful walking. Take extra precautions in daily routines.
- Be prepared for the intense feelings of fear to return, often at a moment's notice. Simply re-center yourself each time and do not be dismayed by results. Just keep reaffirming what is good for you to do.
- Get outside even if it is to take a walk by yourself.
- Take action to improve your immunity and your health.
- Use fear to propel you into new inspiration.
- Take on new projects you have always wanted to do but haven't had the time.
- If you are a senior, deliberately do the things that health professionals recommend. For example, whenever you are afraid, make extra attempts to pick your feet up as you walk.
- Center your mind. There are a number of ways to do this. Structured meditation (Mindfulness Meditation is one form), yoga, Tai Chi will all have that effect. Mental focus is grounding, connects us to the earth and keeps us from flying off into panic.
- Exercise. Develop an exercise regimen that is customized to your particular situation. Do it consistently. Make it your highest priority. You will be amazed at how much better you feel. Don't let yourself become inactive as you self isolate. Take online exercise classes. Better yet take the Building Better Balance classes. You will not only feel better as a result but you will also improve your balance and reduce your fall risk.
- Above all, breathe. Deep breathing exercises help more than any other single thing. Incorporate them in your daily routine. When you feel the fear returning, take a few deep breaths and you will puncture the power that fear commands.
One of the indications of COVID-19 is tightness across the chest, fever being another important sign. Keep in mind that chest tightness also comes from anxiety. Reducing tightness in the rib cage is a wonderful result of breathing exercises. Try those before panicking especially if you do not have a fever.
Here is an example of how the media distorts the news: While recent stock market volatility is extreme with daily swings sometimes in the several thousands, a headline in the otherwise reliable media outlet Washington Post issues a bulletin: "Dow tumbles more than 150 points despite central bank's latest coronavirus rescue plans." What is interesting about this is that futures for the Dow in the prior hours were set to make a big drop of close to 1,000. So a drop of 150 was actually great news and a sign that the market was stabilizing some.
In other than factual reporting, listen to the media with a grain of salt. Better yet simply take a break from the news.
The following links for BALANCE NEWS articles can really help to dispel the profound effect that fear has upon us:
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Basic deep breathing exercises.
The differences between these 3. Pitfalls for those older. Great tips to break the panic cycle. How to detoxify from anything.How to center yourself in a crisis. Concrete suggestions to help keep the coronavirus at bay. |
How another time dealt with wretchedness:
In the past few days as the American response to the coronavirus has become more restrictive and everyone around me is panicking, I decided to have an imaginary conversation with my parents (both passed over 25 years ago). You know what they said to me? "Now you understand what we went through." Their generation had to deal with 10 years of depression followed by 5 years of devastating war. They survived to live another day as did our country. They gave the world peace and prosperity. So shall we. This too shall pass.
Between 1933 and 1940 the New Deal put in place much of what the US now considers its stable foundation. Here is a list of some of the accomplishments that were born during that time:
Between 1933 and 1940 the New Deal put in place much of what the US now considers its stable foundation. Here is a list of some of the accomplishments that were born during that time:
- Social Security.
- Banking regulation and Federal deposit insurance (FDIC).
- Regulation of the stock exchange and issuance of securities.
- Provided the foundations for old age pensions and unemployment insurance.
- Restrictions on working hours and collective bargaining.
- Federal deficit spending.
- The New Deal demonstrated that the democratic system was capable of handling crisis.
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The Works Projects Administration (WPA) built, improved or renovated:
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The Public Works Administration (PWA) built:
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By the way, in 1938 Republicans captured both houses of Congress and henceforth blocked all New Deal legislation. Much stimulus legislation was similarly blocked by a Republican Congress when President Obama attempted to steer the nation through the 2008 Great Recession.
The New Deal was responsible for some powerful and important achievements. It put people back to work. It saved capitalism. It restored faith in the American economic system, while at the same time it revived a sense of hope in the American people. Out of despair came greatness and the foundations for a strong and vibrant America.
What will be our legacy born out of crisis in 2020? What will we create out of the depth of this pandemic? I imagine great and powerful things that will carry the world through the next 100 years. Something to visualize and look forward to.
What will be our legacy born out of crisis in 2020? What will we create out of the depth of this pandemic? I imagine great and powerful things that will carry the world through the next 100 years. Something to visualize and look forward to.
Published March 20, 2020