What are you learning? Covid-19 has created a unique set of circumstances for conducting experiments and learning about our physical environment, our shared humanity and ourselves. Jarred out of automatic pilot, what was once invisible has became apparent.
During the quarantine, we stopped creating so much pollution and witnessed the earth restoring itself. When humans got quiet, nature came to life! It’s true that our air and water are healthier than before the quarantine. Our human behavior affects the planet; the impact can be measured, and the lesson is ours to take away. Let’s remember that!
If you have heard and want proof that all people are one, that we are woven into an interconnected web of life, look no further than covid-19. Droplets from a sneeze spread the virus from one human, one city, one country and one continent to another. Worldwide, we breath the same air, what is exhaled by one person is inhaled by another. We are connected in our humanity. Let’s remember that!
To decrease the spread of this new disease, we are staying home or socially distancing. Operating with the changing circumstances in a crisis, we are testing a theory. Data shows that staying home has proven effective and so we proceed with caution to restart society without giving up the benefits we have achieved by staying home. Yes, social distancing decreases the number of sick people, reducing overwhelm in the medical system and defining how we can help. Let’s remember that!
Now for the personal realm that we inhabit at home – our physical homes, our hearts and our heads. While staying in for extended periods, we can conduct our own experiments in living. We can explore what we want in our lives, declutter our thoughts and choose how we perceive the world and our place in it. Life is a big experiment; we test theories and explore what works all the time. Now is a good time to engage consciously in those experiments and to draw conclusions.
Currently, I am experimenting with what makes me feel good, in particular antidotes to anxiety. I started with the truism, “the best cure for anxiety is thinking of others”. My hunch is that it is true, but I have never put it to the test. In this time of uncertainty and high potential for anxiety, I am going to do so. This is the 5-step process for conducting your own experiments.
1. Question a theory. The best cure for anxiety is thinking of others.” Is it true?
2. Make a plan. Whenever I notice anxiety evidenced by lack of calm and connection with self and others, I will reach out to someone, using any available medium of expression.
3. Conduct a pre-check. Measure anxiety level: observing state of calm (focus, energy/sleep, organization) and connection with others (positive interactions).
4. Practice the plan for a designated period.
5. Conduct a post-check after the designated period. Measure anxiety as observed in level of calm and connection (details above). Note changes and draw conclusions.
Immediately after defining this experiment, I felt refreshed. I have restored purpose and meaning in my life. I am doing experiments in living! That is a valid purpose, one that provides direction, organization and ultimately information. I cannot change the uncertainty of these times, but I can impact my own well-being, by doing experiments in how I can take care of myself and others at the same time, practices that I can bring forward into my post pandemic days.
Please join me in this experiment and share your results on the facebook page. Is it true that you the cure for anxiety is to think of others? Are you testing any other theories? If we remember what we are learning and can take better care of ourselves, the earth and each other – what a wonderful world it would be!
