How can we use the stress around us during the COVID-19 pandemic to heal ourselves? How can we stay ahead of this stress so that it doesn’t overtake us, instead we can use it for our betterment?

Sometimes when we consider how to manage stress, we get overwhelmed by the fact that we are stressed and our reaction is to pretend we are not stressed or to ignore it. We try to distract ourselves instead. This works momentarily, but the stress remains and unfortunately takes stronger roots in this hidden chamber we put it in where even ‘we’ are not validating its presence.

The fear is: If I pay attention to the stress it’s going to overtake me, it’ll attach to me even more, while in reality, the opposite happens as ignoring the stress only results in you staying stressed for longer.

The best way to not run away from it. Instead, become conscious of the reason why you are stressed. You can then use this as a way to approach the core fear that is underlying the stress.

When the fear is identified, come to it with gentle curiosity, a lot of compassion, and no judgment as to what you feel it ‘should’ be or ‘shouldn’t be’. Approach the fear with curiosity and love. Once you become curious and conscious of your fears, you will already be on the way to deep self-healing. You will have already opened the door to the understanding and healing it because you would finally approach it with a desire to understand it instead of replacing it. Once you are in that place, the stress will teach you what to do next.