How To Maintain Emotional Stability In The Covid Crisis
I still remember the takeoff from JFK heading to Russia. About 30 seconds into a smooth takeoff, suddenly the wings wobbled wildly back and forth and the plane pitched downward. The passengers screamed.
The pilot gradually stabilized the lurching aircraft. Fellow passengers stopped screaming. A calm emerged. We had hit a “vortex” the pilot calmly said.
It feels like that right now with lockdowns, masks, and upheaval. Is emotional stability possible right now in this craziness?
YES. Check out these few recommendations to help you come out of the emotional “vortex”:
Loosen control.
Control is a false sense of security. No one has control but God. The afternoon our plane flailed wildly in the air, we had no control. The pilot had full control.
God is our Pilot. We cannot see him any more than you can see your airline pilots. You can’t see them but you know that grabbing the wheel of a plane would do you absolutely NO GOOD!
God has guided His people through storms, violence, persecution, and warfare. Meet with him every morning. Worship Him that He is truly in control and you are just a “passenger.”
Welcome change.
Over 70% of the dominant personality style in America has “fear of change” as their greatest fear.
What if things never go back to normal?
We will change. Life will change. New industries and ministries will emerge. New technologies will develop. New ways of doing life, sports, education, entertainment, and a hundred other things will be birthed.
You can’t frighten me with change. Ride the wave. Release the “white knuckle” grip on the present. Ask the Lord to show you how to innovate and morph because the boundaries have moved.
Deepen relationships.
Who are you talking to right now? Who are you interfacing with and expressing your frustrations, losses, and anxieties?
You need that. You need to laugh with somebody about the craziness we are all caught up in. Don’t get alone too much or you will start dreaming up doomsday scenarios.
Talk. Listen. Reach out. Check on people. Restore relationships. All of us can come out of this with a lot stronger marriages, families, and friendships.
Get outside.
Shut up in the same four walls with a news feed endlessly showing the same footage can drive you batty.
Get out. Take your morning 15-minute walk. Walk outside, breathe the air, stretch, and let the sun hit your face every couple of hours.
If you have more gallop, play a round of golf or tennis. Find an activity where people are not gathered at all.
You feel normal again. Your emotional stability is critical during these months. Surround yourself with faith and laughter, not hysteria and anger.
Like a chain reaction, your stability will calm others in your family, your neighborhood, and your workplace.
