Three Steps to Reducing Fear of Coronavirus

As Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, many people are feeling powerless, unsafe and downright terrified about what may be coming. We want to take action, to take back control, but we don’t know what to do. So our fears magnify, making us less rational, and this puts added stress on our bodies at a time when we all want to be strong.

Fear itself is very like a virus. It replicates, and it passes from person to person. Fear breeds panic. This not only undermines us as individuals, but also sabotages the mechanics of society, which now more than ever needs to be efficient.

However, if you know how to reduce your fear, this keeps your mind clear, promotes wellbeing and helps those around you to remain calm too. It’s a win-win situation! We have to wait and trust in science to solve the physical problem, but we absolutely do have control over the mental and emotional aspects, even in extreme circumstances.

So, how do you do this, when your fears are intense and out of control?

Here are my three steps to reducing your fear and maintaining your calm in times of crisis:

1) The first step is to pull back your power; this is a technique I teach to promote calm and reduce anxiety in many situations. You can learn this very easily.

Close your eyes, take a few slow breaths, and allow yourself to become aware of any fear or anxiety you are feeling – maybe it’s a fear of the virus itself, fear about a report you just heard on the news, or fear for consequences to yourself or your loved-ones. Picture that fear outside of your body, out in the world.

Now imagine a wire running between your chest and the source of your fear. On the wire is threaded a brightly coloured ball, like a beach ball. This is the ball of your power and at the moment your fear has the power and you are powerless.

In your mind’s eye, reach out, grab that ball and pull it along the wire right back into your chest, focusing intently on the ball as you do so – the focus is very important. Now keep your focus on the ball of power within your chest. Hold that focus for as long as you can.

As you do this, you get your power back, and your fear loses its power over you. You will begin to feel calm returning, and your mind will relax.

2) Now that your mind is calmer, it is time to create a new empowering mindset. Deep in our subconscious minds are ancestral fears around plague, and these old patterns have been triggering within us. Our subconscious minds do not understand that things have changed since then.

The truth is that the Coronavirus is thankfully NOT plague as our ancestors knew it. Our living conditions and our scientific expertise are light-years away from those times. We have many factors in our favour which make direct comparisons with the past inappropriate. Yes, we have a global challenge, but we are resourceful and have brilliant minds capable of finding a solution. As you continue to breathe gently, imagine breathing in these truths and breathing out all those old ancestral understandings that have been triggered within you. Imagine your subconscious mind being updated with accurate 21st century information.

3) Finally, bring in the understanding that the more you keep your fears in check, the lower your body’s stress will be, and the better you will be able to deal with this threat and any other. Taking this action to reduce your fear and anxiety really does keep you safer. Hold that understanding in your mind for a few moments and then open your eyes and carry on with your day.

Go through this procedure each time your fears start to grow. It only takes a couple of minutes but it can have a profoundly beneficial effect on your mental and emotional wellbeing.

When you take action to pull your power back from the fear, your mind feels safer and clearer, your anxiety and stress reduce, and you are in a much better state to deal with the situation.

Just as fear replicates, so does calm. When you hold this positive mindset, you will help others to do the same, and this is in turn will help us all create the best possible outcome in this challenging time.

Source by Dr Anne Whitehouse