We are living in unprecedented times. But are they really all that rare? There are many factors that make the coronavirus situation unique, but is this something that is majorly outlandish or contrary to reason?
The reality is this scenario is all too familiar. We have a novel virus infecting people whose immune systems are mostly naive to it. The scale might be the largest the world has ever seen because we have more people and more mobility than ever before, but this isn’t a surprise. The story has happened before. There is a different cast of characters. The technology available to track and monitor is more advanced. The demographics are unique to the moment. But human nature is the same no matter how many millenia pass. Like the most basic living beings, we seek pleasure and avoid pain. We crave security and avoid peril. And we panic when our baseline level of security is disrupted.
Unexpected situations can throw us off our game, but we’re still dealing with human emotion and behavior. Mindfulness can help keep you grounded in this moment in time. It can provide a foundation with which to stabilize your thoughts and feelings. It can help to quell the storm within so that you may better deal with the storm outside of you and within others. You’ll come out on the other side of this one way or another, my friends. You might as well be mindful during the process.
The Mindful Vet 