The New Normal
The New Normal
When life takes a sudden, strange, unexpected and unpleasant turn - such as with a pandemic, a catastrophe, a crisis or a breaking point, there comes with it a new order, a new ‘normal’.
And whether or not that ‘new unpleasant normal’ arrived completely out of your control, or it’s totally in your control - it’s still the same. A new ‘unpleasant’ normal is still ‘a new normal’.
And with it comes a whole bunch of unpleasant thoughts and feelings.
Do any of these ring true?
Is this just a bad dream?
When can I get back to normal?
Will I ever get over this?
Are we all going to die?
How long will I have to put up with this new normal?
How could I prevent this from ever happening again?
These are all perfectly normal thoughts. We all think along these lines because as humans we’re all wired basically the same. We are hard-wired for survival.
To help us survive, the mind is wired to move us away from pain, and move us towards pleasure.
HERE’S AN EQUATION ABOUT THE CURRENT PANDEMIC - NEGATIVE THINKING
Pandemic = crisis = catastrophe = breaking point = pain.
We want to move away from that, right?
If alcohol sales figures are are anything to go by it would appear that Americans may be drinking their way through the current Pandemic. Boxed wine is up 53% according to research. And in periods such as this the economic and psychological stress drives up alcohol abuse, leading to more problems as they buy more quantities of cheaper booze while at the same time hindering the immune system. Not good.
HERE’S AN EQUATION ABOUT THE CURRENT PANDEMIC - BENEFICIAL THINKING
Pandemic = no crisis = no catastrophe = no breaking point = pleasure.
We want to move towards that pleasure.
But how do we do that in a smart way without over eating, over drinking and binge watching TV?
Of course we want to get back to our ‘nice’ normal, and quickly.
Because that’s exactly how we are hard-wired.
So although there is nothing we can do to control the COVID-19 Pandemic in which we find ourselves there are things we CAN control.
We can be intentional. Intentional about all aspects of our life. Our physical, mental and emotional health.
Yes even during the pandemic we can move away from it and stay safe. We can follow the government guidelines and avoid the pandemic by staying safe at home unless for essentials; being vigilant washing hands and surfaces; wearing face masks and practicing safe social distancing.
For our mental and emotional health we can move away from the pain and crisis and make this a time for personal introspection and self development. We can take time for ourselves and our health and well being.
With extra time on our hands this may be the perfect time learn new skills. We could learn how to nourish our minds and our bodies by learning to cook healthy home cooked meals instead of eating take out. Or we could learn about healthy nutrition. Or to learn to play a musical instrument, learn another language, or start painting or drawing. Maybe even start a business. All these are possible right now.
We can avoid a catastrophe. OK true there are financial needs to pay bills and live, but this time can be used to scale down, spend less, practice frugality.
We can avoid a breakdown by breaking down harmful negative thoughts, questioning these harmful thoughts as they arise; practice slow deep breathing; meditating; calming ourselves down; taking long walks; reading books; spending time self-nurturing; relaxing the mind.
We can avoid a breaking point by being part of the solution. We can play our important part and be healthier, safer, more positive, and by reaching out to others who may need words of encouragement, who may be alone and need uplifting. There’s a lot to be said about the power of faith. Especially in times of pandemic.
This pandemic although fast-spreading and deadly is not the end of the world. Life will go on.
How do I know?
Because there have been other pandemics down through the ages. This is not the first time. And we’re still around. And there’s a good chance this won’t be the last pandemic either.
So until there’s a vaccine we’ll just need to use our minds and manage our emotions as best we can.
And if we’re really smart about it we can use this time as a gift. We can turn the lemon into lemonade. We can flourish during this time.
We can move away from pain and towards pleasure.
Because our brains are hard wired to do so.
SOURCES:
World Health Organization on COVID-19
The Neuroscience of Seeking Pleasure Avoiding Pain
Americans Drinking Their Way Through the Coronavirus Pandemic
20 of the World’s Worst Epidemics and Pandemics in History
Zelda Sheldon, Certified RTT Therapist and Rapid Transformation Coach
By Zelda Sheldon, Certified RTT Therapist and Rapid Transformation Coach
