Here is the transcript for today’s mini-episode in The How to Not Panic Sessions.
Hey all. So, we’re in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic and I wanted to offer you a mini-course in “how to not panic.” Panic is everywhere right now - people are freaking out, feeling overly anxious, and are worried about the unknowns all around us.
I get it.
This series of episodes is going to offer a few short-but-impactful lessons every day for the coming week to help us all navigate this new reality. Temporary, but very real.
Today we’re going to focus on the concept of Thinking on Purpose.
Here’s what I mean…
All the time, but now more than ever, we’re being bombarded with information, media, stories, even marketing, some sensational tales, and lots of data. It’s constantly coming at us. And when we’re facing something new, something uncertain, our minds are actively trying to make sense of things. We’re trying to process and understand and digest all of this information that’s coming at us. The news. What we’re hearing from friends and family. The latest statistics. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN, our brains are constantly asking.
We’re wondering why everyone is buying all of the toilet paper...and do we need to go out and buy toilet paper, too? We’re wondering if the kids are out of school for spring break...or maybe the rest of the semester. We’re wondering how much worse the pandemic will get before it starts to turn around get better. We’re wondering exactly how we’re going to be affected by all of this...
Between the information that we’re being fed from news outlets and other people, and the questions spinning around in our minds...our brains are whirling in wild circles of ideas mostly provided by EXTERNAL sources.
For today, I want you to take a moment and think. on. purpose. I want you to purposefully give your brain something to work on. Be deliberate about throwing a wrench into the neverending gears that are spinning faster and faster with news and statistics. Stop for a moment and get intentional about what you’re thinking.
Here’s the deal: your thoughts create your feelings. And when we’re constantly taking on the thoughts of other people, the thoughts the news is feeding us, the thoughts of worried family and friends, then we start feeling the feelings those thoughts produce. Those thoughts in your mind...some of them are yours, but a lot of them at this moment are NOT yours. They’re borrowed thoughts from external sources.
Now listen: I’m not at all telling you to turn off the news, stop answering the phone, and ignore what’s happening. Not at all. Information is helpful and useful...until it’s not. Right? Knowledge and data is productive and valuable...until it’s not. You know what I mean. I’m guessing that over the past week you’ve had the experience of crossing your personal line from what you need and want to know about what’s happening in the world into a darker place...the place of pure fear, anxiety, and worry.
Those feelings are all valid. Those feelings are the output of fearful, anxious, and worried thoughts. It makes sense for us to feel exactly how we feel, 100% of the time. The feelings aren’t coming out of nowhere. The feelings are arising in you because of how you’re thinking. And when you’re constantly outsourcing your thinking to the news, to friends, to family...you’re constantly at the mercy of the thoughts THEY’RE giving you to think and the FEELINGS that come out of those thoughts.
So again, today, take a moment and give yourself some space to THINK ON PURPOSE.
Now, if you’re going to think on purpose and look to yourself to create some of your own, original thoughts, you may be thinking those thoughts need to be all happy and calm thoughts, so that you can feel happy and calm.
Folks: this is the perfect example of a situation where you likely WANT to feel a little fear. Where you WANT to feel a little worried. If 6 months ago, you had heard that the world was going to be undergoing a global pandemic just like this and I asked you, “how do you WANT to feel about all of this happening?” I’m guessing you’d choose some balance, some combination of concern and calm. That you wouldn’t want to be the dude walking around high-fiving everybody and trivializing Coronavirus while people’s lives are changing by the hour and other people are very ill...but that you wouldn’t want to be lying in bed in the fetal position, hyperventilating either.
See what those feelings are for YOU. What feels most real to you right now? Appropriate? Connected? Relevant? Compassionate? Applicable? Kind? Suitable…?
If you’ve been feeling jerked around on a roller coaster of emotions, slow things down and ask yourself what YOU want. And give yourself even just a MOMENT to THINK ON PURPOSE.
Also check in with yourself and ask yourself: who do I want to be during this time? How do I want to show up? How do I want to handle this pandemic? And this could be as a parent, as a partner, as a co-worker, employee, boss, friend, daughter, son, neighbor, volunteer, sister, brother...as someone who has something to offer, as someone who needs a break, as someone who loves being home, as someone who is already clamoring to get back out to groups and your community.
How do you need to feel to show up that way? How does the person who is doing those things feel right now?
And what do YOU need to think on purpose in order to create those feelings and actions for yourself?
Times like what we’re experiencing right now are always a time where we can come together, lean on each other, connect...even while we’re practicing social distancing. RIght?! But we need you to practice thinking on purpose, we need you to know what you WANT, we need you to practice generating your own thoughts right now and not simply glomming on to the ideas and stories already circling en masse.
Know that you’re likely going to feel a whole range of emotions in the coming days and weeks. It’s all ok. Those feelings are FINE; those feelings are just the output of your thoughts. When you flip a light switch and the lights come on, it’s not the light’s fault...it’s because of the switch. When you feel something it’s not the feeling’s fault...it’s because of the thought.
Your mind is going to think all kinds of thoughts. You’re taking in LOTS of thoughts from external sources right now. Which is not a problem. But if you notice yourself feeling completely overwhelmed, paralyzed by fear, or overly anxious don’t blame your feelings...just give yourself some room to THINK ON PURPOSE. Because then, you’ll be feeling on purpose, too. And those feelings will fuel you showing up in the world that way you want.
Ok, I’ll see you again tomorrow for another short, mini episode in this series, How to Not Panic. Don’t hesitate to reach out - you can find me on Instagram @khanlinmccormick or through my website, www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com. I’m here for you, I’ve got you. We can do hard things and we can do hard things together. Alright, my friends?
Ok, see you tomorrow. And until then, take care.
