This is a post that began some time ago and sat as a draft. In the time of the Coronavirus and all the fear and anxiety surrounding it, it seemed like revisiting and putting this out might be a useful.
Fear itself is useful for any living being. In the face of potential mortal danger, physical and mental capacities become heightened, and the decision-making process becomes simpler: do this or that. When what we fear is not imminent death, the way our minds simplify the world isn’t as helpful. (just like the adrenaline rush after the car accident isn’t helpful).
What are we afraid of? It’s not surprise that trying to catalogue our fears is truly difficult — after all, most things we fear are things we don’t want to think about. Then suddenly there is a pandemic and we think we know at least one answer: we fear getting sick, or seeing a friend or loved one get sick, we fear the possibility that we or someone we care for may die.
Asking why we fear something, at the time we feel fear, is easier. And in times like this when we have an idea of what we fear, asking why tells us a lot about ourselves.. Of course we would not choose to become sick, and would not wish that on anyone we like’ and the same is all the more true for death — yet this is not the death of a sudden assault but something farther away and uncertain.
Why do we fear getting sick with COVID-19? The statistics continue to show that it is not for almost anyone a disease that will cost sever consequences for us in terms of hospitalization or possible death. It is the people with health conditions that make it harder for their bodies to fight the disease who experience the most difficult outcomes.
Oddly, fearing the coronavirus weakens our immune systems. One can search “fear and immune system” to read the results, and whether you want just the summary or a detailed recounting of s study the results are the same: living in a constant state of fear weakens our immune systems.
Even more, fear reduces our ability to respond correctly to social cues — like social distancing. The part of our brain that focuses on right now doesn’t know to use hand sanitizer and so we are less likely to use it.
Knowing why we fear something allows us to act more fully to avoid the outcome we don’t want. Oddly, once we have developed the routines of hand washing/sanitizing, social distancing, cleaning common surfaces, not touching our faces — once we do these things we can let go of fear.
And how do we let go of fear? Live joyously in a moment — dance, sing, watch a sunset or sunrise, listen to a bird sing, watch a baby laugh (even on-line), share a great joke with a friend, or any of the billions of other things that give people joy. Exult in your smile and think about that moment. Exhale and let go of the fear.