How to Deal With Isolation

Well, after two weeks of our family doing voluntary distancing, Boulder is now officially on lock down. Looks like this is just the beginning.

And I’m losing my mind, apparently.

For example, I just volunteered to paint the garage. That almost killed my wife just from the out-of-character shock of it.

Clearly I need to check myself.

All kidding aside … earlier in the day before I decided that painting the garage was my new life goal, I realized my heart was racing. Not a full-on panic attack, but something similar to one, I’m guessing.

I really don’t want the people I love to get sick. Hell, I don’t want me to get sick. So I’m guessing this entire situation is having a psychological toll.

I’m used to being alone. I generally like it. But when I have to stay away from others … well, that’s when it gets a little weird.

Imagine being up in space for a year, though. That would be tough, and anyone who’s done it likely has meaningful advice for the rest of us.

Astronaut Scott Kelly has plenty of tips, and emphasizes the one thing he couldn’t do. Go outside.

I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share

Viral Anxiety

“Uncertainty can be compared to a virus itself, one that is only adding fuel to the anxious fires burning in many of us. This is because uncertainty triggers the fear centers in our brains. Knowing how this process works, however, can help us take proper countermeasures and develop better mental hygiene.”

Anxiety Is Contagious. Here’s How to Contain It

Zoom 4Life

Companies that have resisted remote work now have no choice. And now that they’ve finally invested in and implemented the technology that makes remote work possible, we may see this become more of a normal way to do business.

The Incredibly Simple Reason Working From Home Could Be Here to Stay

Time for Reinvention?

We have a choice: we can succumb to the psychological pressure of the pandemic or leverage the opportunity to induce personal growth. You may have already begun to change in ways that you haven’t noticed yet.

7 Surprising Ways COVID-19 Is Changing the Way You Think

Don’t Eat Your Stress

I used to think “stress eating” was just a response to psychological distress. But it’s an actual physical thing because our adrenal glands release cortisol when we’re stressed, which increases appetite. In other words, my good eating habits went out the window about a week ago.

Why Stress Causes People to Overeat

Down below, Trudi has a whole bunch of resources that will help you relieve stress, and reduce that cortisol. There’s never been a better time to begin meditating than right now (right after you improve your mood with Katrina and the Waves in the Flashback).

Keep going-

Brian Clark

P.S. Yes, this issue is a couple days late. I may shift publication to the weekend for awhile, but one way or another I’ll keep delivering Further. If someone forwarded this issue to you, please join us by signing up here.

When You Can’t Go Out, Go Inward

By Trudi Roth

If you’re freaking out about COVID-19, it’s not just you. Each day brings a crush of new information that reinforces the precariousness and unpredictability of our situation.

As a result, we’re spending more and more time glued to our screens to find signs of hope and safety amidst the chaos. And I feel you.

As a meditation teacher in training, though, I’m also encouraging you to stop. As Brian discussed last week, it’s time to focus on boosting your immune system, and a key way is to lower your stress.

Hint: Inner peace isn’t found by trying to control the uncontrollables out there. Recent research actually shows that our unprecedented levels of digital connectivity has heightened our intolerance of uncertainty.

Instead, in this time of social distancing, consider a neuroscience-backed trip to achieve “psychological distance” from the terrifying narrative your brain (and the news) is telling you.

Catch some calm

While personal growth during a pandemic may seem absurd, it’s worth noting that even the CDC recommends deep breathing and meditation to help you cope. The good news is meditative practices aren’t one-size-fits-all. Mindfulness meditation, in particular, doesn’t have to be a formal, sit-down practice; it can be done while taking a walk, cleaning the house, or gardening.

For some, present moment awareness may feel counterproductive — after all, won’t that heighten anxiety by surfacing submerged fears? The point is to do what you can to find what psychologist and Buddhist meditation teacher Tara Brach calls “an inner refuge of calm:”

When things fall apart, it’s a really horrible time in the sense that there’s so much suffering, but it’s also an opportunity for us to wake up our hearts in an unprecedented way. The ultimate gift of meditation is that it helps us come home to a space of presence that is large enough for whatever we encounter. And it’s from that space that we can actually live from who we most want to be.

Resources for your inner journey

Mindfulness kicks in quickly — research from Headspace shows just 10-20 minutes three times weekly can bolster your mood and decrease stress and anxiety. Here are a few ideas to summon a sense of safety and comfort in this challenging time.

“Our calm is contagious”: How to use mindfulness in a pandemic (Vox)

Further articles:
The Mainstreaming of Meditation

How to Choose the Best Meditation Practice for You

Videos:

The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: Short videos from masters including Brach, Pema Chödrön, and more.

F*ck That: An Honest Meditation: Mindfulness for those on the saltier side.

Podcasts:

Krista Tippett, Becoming Wise (a shorter version of her signature podcast, On Being).

Brené Brown’s new podcast, Unlocking Us.

Apps:

Insight Timer: Free meditation guided meditations, plus mindfulness tools.

Aura: supports sleep and emotional regulation.