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How to cope with COVID-19 by tapping into your own POWER!

4/6/2020

 
Learn some practical ways to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic by tapping into the powerful part of yourself! ​
​My name is Wen Chi Chien. I am a licensed psychotherapist and a life coach. Today, I would like to help you to cope with the feelings around the coronavirus crisis. It is easy to live in fear and many people are living in fear because of coronavirus, but you don't have to. The majority of the people walking on the earth are blind followers, and you are my hero, you are my gladiator! And under any circumstances, you have two choices. Choice A: Be afraid. Choice B: Be powerful. Which one would you choose? It's a no-brainer. Choice B: Be Powerful. So how do you deal with the coronavirus and feel powerful about it? The reason people are anxious right now because they're not being present. We go into the future mode, what if? What if? What if? We'll worry, worry, worry. Guess what? Worry is that you're paying the debt you don't owe.

So the tool for you right here, right now is what I call three boxes. All you need to do is to imagine in front of you, there are three boxes. The box on the left represents the past. The box on the right represents the future. The box in the middle represents the present. Okay? If you want to experience shame and guilt, which box do you focus on? The past. If you want to experience worry and fear, which box do you focus on? The future. If you want to experience love, peace, and joy, which box do you focus on? Right here, right now. The present. It’s just that simple. The past is done. You can't go back to change it, no matter how remorseful you are. And the future is not here. How can you control something that does not exist? The definition of Zen is there is no reality outside of here and now. This is all we have, right here, right now.

So how do you use these three boxes to keep yourself in the present moment? Two questions for you to ask. Right now, this moment, which box am I in? If I feel shame and guilt more likely I'm stuck in the past box. If I feel worried and fearful, it’s more likely I got stuck in the future box. So the first question is, which box am I in? And if you find out you're in the future box, what if, what if, what if, then ask yourself a second question: How long do I want to stay there? If you continue to stay in the future box, you will continue to feel anxious and fearful and eventually you will be paralyzed by this uncertainty. So bring yourself back to the present moment by identifying everything in your surroundings. The wall, the carpet, the chair, the table, the books, my shoes, my dog, my cat. Okay, so which box are you in right now? The present. Are you okay with that? This moment, just practice one nanosecond at a time.

So if use this nanosecond right here, right now, to get stuck in the past or the future box, your life just slips right in front of you. But if you use this nanosecond to stay right here, right now, chances are the next nanosecond, you will stay right here, right now, and then you're good to go. That's how you create the life that you want.

Now, someone asks, "How do I deal with the coronavirus? It's happening right here, right now." Okay, so there are many things you can do that are under your control. One of them is social distancing. Many people are practicing that, which is wonderful. So keep all of us safe. On the other hand, say you're in a safe environment, you can do things that are self-soothing, listen to the music, read a book, put fluffy socks on and hold your stuffed animals and do those things you didn't have time to do it in the past, such as learning skills online that you always wanted to learn, like how to play guitar. And now you can watch YouTube and play guitar, and wherever you are, make your environment very comfortable for you. And that is 100% under your control and you're always being present.
​
And remember, no storm lasts forever. So the coronavirus is not a permanent disease. So the most important thing is for you to recognize that you are not here to suffer. You're here to celebrate, celebrate the fact that you are absolutely powerful beyond measure!

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    Authors

    Jenna Jarrold, MS, LAC, NCC
    Staff Therapist
    ​Zen Institute

    Brad R. Peters
    Co-Founder & CEO
    ​Zen Institute

    Wen Chi Chien, M.A. LPC

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet Our Staff
  • Services
    • Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
  • Treatment
    • Treatment Overview
    • Inner Twin Therapy >
      • Inner Twin Testimonials
    • Eastern Philosophy in Treatment
    • FAQs
  • Testimonials
    • Treatment Testimonials
    • Inner Twin Testimonials
    • Compare Zen Institute
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Coronavirus & COVID-19 mental health resources
    • Client Resources
    • Provider Resources
    • Insurance
    • CareCredit Financing
    • DBT Group
    • Recommended Reading
    • Get Free Tools
    • Local Accommodations
    • Surya Psychiatric Clinic dTMS
  • Photos
    • Zen Institute Tucson
    • Virtual Tour
    • Therapy Signs
  • Contact Us