Looking after yourself so that you can look after others

I am reflecting on the current situation that the whole world is facing regarding the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Mindset matters. If we see ourselves as besieged victims who need to go into hiding, then we are likely to cultivate fear and hoarding. If, however we view ourselves as a community working together to protect everyone, especially the most vulnerable amongst us, then we will cultivate courage and helping. It is important to think about those things that we have control over and those things that we do not.

Things I can control so I will focus on these things:

• Being positive and keeping busy;
• Turning off bad news;
• Finding fun things to do;
• Following recommendations from credible sources (see below);
• Limiting time on social media; and
• Being kind and supportive.

Things I cannot control - so I can LET GO of these things:

• The actions of others;
• Predicting what will happen;
• Knowing how long this current situation will last;
• Knowing how others will react;
• Other people's motives; and
• The amount of toilet paper at the supermarket.

Credible sources there are many but it is important to undertake due diligence and fact checking if the source is previously unknown to you. Here are a few

• Australian Government Department of Health www.health.gov.au
• World Health Organisation www.who.int
• Centres for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov

It is important to remember that this pandemic will end and that we all have an opportunity to influence the end. Good luck