As we face the current pandemic of COVID-19, it is crucial to remember that, for many, this is just the beginning of the crisis. After the containment of this virus, we will be heading into tornado, earthquake, and hurricane season. After we conquer these occurrences, there is the election in November. It is safe to say, many of us will be mentally exhausted before the end of 2020.
The three most important fundamentals in dealing with a crisis are mindset, practice, and preparedness. This article is to offer some tools to assist with ensuring a proper mindset. It is crucial to practice ensuring a proper mindset in times of crisis regularly.
The best way to remember the basics is GRACE:
Gratitude: Practicing gratitude allows people to feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, build strong relationships, and deal with adversity. Research has shown that gratitude practice reduces an array of negative emotions and is a natural stress detox for the mind and body. Studies have indicated that people who feel more grateful, are healthier, and stress-resilient in life (Krause, 2006). As the saying goes, "always look for the positive."
Release Expectations: A famous quote from an unknown author, “the best way to avoid disappointment is not to have expectations." We all have expectations, and we base our emotional reaction on them. It is important to practice how to release negative feelings when our expectations fail us.
When one practices releasing expectations, it becomes easy to move on when things do not go as we expect. The key to mastering this release is to accept things as they occur with no judgment either way. While it seems complicated, it is not impossible. There are many resources to aid in this process and mindset.
Awareness: It is our key to survival. Self and situational awareness are essential to maintaining a proper mindset. Knowing one's limits, as well as one's abilities, are essential for a proper mindset. It allows you to separate (release expectations) from events in your control and those not in your control. It allows for acceptance and then the ability to adequately address the situation at hand.
Compassion: allows people to be human and humane. The best way to sum this tool up is with a quote from Thurgood Marshall "The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in a time of crisis.”
Equanimity: The best description of this tool comes from Buddhism, equanimity is neither a thought nor an emotion; it is instead the steady conscious realization of reality's transience. It is the ground for wisdom and freedom and the protector of compassion and love.
In other words, calm, fresh, and collective. By practicing the other tools, one should achieve equanimity with ease.
G.R.A.C.E should give one the necessary tools to maintain a proper mindset to address any crisis. By having a proper mindset, one's facilities will be better able to address situations that will arise from a crisis. From protection, defense, rescue, recovery, survival, to rebuild, a proper mindset will better assist when dealing with any crisis.
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