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In the era of COVID-19, when things are uncertain and feel out of control, it’s natural that our stress levels are on the rise. We’re hard-wired for anxiety to keep us safe when faced with uncertainty. Anxiety is our protector, a doozy of a safety scanner, warning us of potential danger when driving in heavy traffic, walking to the car in a dark parking garage, or when we're behind on a deadline. The key is to make anxiety work for us instead of against us in unpredictable times. It helps to know what we can change or control and what we can’t. Your greatest power is your perspective. It can victimize you or empower you. When you look for the upside in a downside situation and figure out what you can control and what you can't, it’s easier to accept whatever is beyond your control. Your best ally is to find the opportunity in the difficulty during an uncontrollable situation instead of the difficulty in the opportunity.
Take Advantage of This Restrictive Time
This is a good time to take advantage of social distancing, self-quarantining, and other restrictive measures to learn to meditate or deepen your meditation practices. Scientists have shown that mindfulness meditation is an antidote to worry, fear, and anxiety, which can compromise our immune systems and prevent us from being our best selves.
This nonjudgmental, compassionate acceptance of whatever is happening in the present moment strengthens our natural defenses, calms the nervous system, and provides clarity on next steps, best practices, and decisions during this uncertain time. Through regular micro-mindfulness practices or "microchillers," as I call them, you can become more in charge of your anxious mind instead of it being in charge of you. The starting point is learning to cultivate present-moment awareness. There’s always time for five minutes of micro self-care to refresh your mind. The practice of these simple exercises at your desk, in your car, on your sofa, or in bed can enhance your health, well-being, and job productivity.
Getting Started Is Easy
Plenty of myths abound that can keep you from taking the first step to meditate. Truth be told, you don’t need to assemble elaborate equipment, burn incense, twist yourself into a pretzel, sit lotus position cross-legged on the floor or on a beach or play “weird” music. All you need is five minutes and yourself, a comfortable chair or cushion, and a place where you won’t be distracted. Sit upright with your spine straight in a chair or on the cushion, and you’re ready to roll.
I recommend you meditate for only five minutes to start, gradually increasing your sit time to 15 or 20 minutes once or twice a day. One of the simplest and easiest forms of meditation is to use your breath as a focal point. The actual practice is realizing your attention has strayed and bringing your mind back to your breath, linking your mind and body together in the present moment. When you do this on a regular basis, meditation practice keeps you more in the here and now as you move through your daily work routines.
Basic Steps for Beginning Meditation
Once you’re in a comfortable, quiet place, begin to relax your body. You can close your eyes or leave them open or half-open.
Start to pay attention to your breathing. Notice the air moving in through your nose and out through your mouth. Don’t over-breathe. Allow your breath to move naturally as you observe it.
Breathe in and out as you connect with each inhalation and exhalation, noticing how it feels as you begin the inhalation, how it feels as you are between the inhalation and the exhalation, and the sensations of your breath on the exhalation.
Follow your breath through to a full cycle from the beginning of an inhalation, where your lungs are full, back to where they’re empty.
Notice the rise and fall of your belly; the air moving in and out of your nostrils.
As thoughts and feelings arise in the form of judgments—wondering if you’re doing this right, thinking about what you have to do later or questioning if it’s worth your time to be doing this—simply observe the thoughts without added judgment and let them go.
Once you realize your thoughts have hijacked your attention, don’t struggle with them. Gently bring your attention back and focus on your breath.
Every time you notice your attention leaving your breath, bring your awareness back to concentrating on your breathing.
If your mind gets caught in a chain of thought (and it probably will because this is part of meditation, training your mind to be present), gently step out of the thought stream and come back to the sensations of your breath. Each time it wanders off, continue patiently bringing it back again.
If you’re aware of body discomfort, hunger pangs, sensations of hot or cold, or an itch, just breathe and watch them without doing anything about them. There’s nowhere else to be, nothing else to do but notice your breath for five minutes.
After five minutes, gently open your eyes and bring your attention back into the room. Take in the colors, sounds, and textures around you. Stretch and breathe normally, noticing how much more vivid and acute your mind is and how much more calm, cool, and connected you feel to yourself and the present moment.
Are You Getting the Hang of It?
There is no one-size-fits-all formula to get the hang of meditation because there’s very little you have to do other than watch your thoughts with curiosity as you focus on your breathing. If your mind is still after meditating, if you feel relaxed and rested, and if you have a calmer approach to stress, chances are you’re meditating correctly. In the long term, you know meditation is working when you’re less reactive to job stressors, you worry less, and you’re more grounded in the here and now instead of mentally stuck in the past or future. You’re more adaptable and stress resilient, and your batteries feel recharged more of the time.
A Final Word
During these uncertain times, when you get overwhelmed, anxious, or frustrated, or things don’t turn out the way you hoped, get in the habit of bringing your awareness to the present moment. After regular practice, these microchillers inhibit your automatic negative reactions and give you the space to feel calm, clarity, confidence, compassion, and connection to yourself and others. The mindfulness with which you walk that line between anxiety, worry, and fear and peace of mind and personal well-being determines your ability to thrive in your personal life and career.
