It’s important not to suppress fear or overlook what it’s trying to tell you. Reasonable concerns are your friend, keeping you out of potentially dangerous situations. But being consumed, invaded, and compromised by fear doesn’t make you safer. If anything, the distractions of excessive fear and its wear and tear on the body actually undermine your safety. A little fear goes a long way, and it doesn’t have to penetrate your core and push you into the red zone.
And most of the time, the threats we imagine aren’t as likely as we think they are, their consequences won’t be so bad, and we’d be more able to cope than we give ourselves credit for. If you’re about to fall off a cliff – or the equivalent – sure, be afraid. And if you’re facing a pandemic, take necessary precautions to keep yourself and those around you safe. But otherwise, repeatedly help yourself feel as safe as you reasonably can as you move through your day.
To deepen this experience and find a place inside yourself that feels calm and strong, try this short meditation. You have the option of doing this meditation with your eyes closed, or while reading the words on the screen that Rick is saying.