Calm In The Midst Of Chaos

It is not easy to live in the midst of chaos and not lose your balance when the storm shakes us and it whispers in our ears terrifying news that leaves us with a taste of uncertainty.

We are able to anticipate things in order to be able to react quickly emotionally and cognitively when we panic. But in the midst of the chaos, calm is required.

In psychology and sociology we can choose “fear” as the word of the year 2020. The present situation shows us the whole fan that this word contains. It ranges from irrational behavior to those reactions that arise from fear, but try to counter it with proactive behavior in order to find solutions to problems.

The psychiatrist  Karl Augustus Menninger taught us that we can cultivate fear and then take the most decisive steps. It is easy to say, but to do so is a very complex and traumatic process in the human being in practice. When chaos knocks on the door and robs us of calm, the spirit gets away with us, and what is even more dangerous, it infects others with fear, an enemy of immeasurable proportions.

In this context, calm must be sown. It can also be trained, because fear and nervousness as well as irrational behavior are like a virus. We can learn to slow it down and turn it off.

In the midst of the chaos, we need to focus on calm

We have come to a point where, metaphorically speaking, bad news makes us sick. On television, on the radio, on social networks, we are presented with troubling news, worrying facts and negative reports that defeat our positive attitudes.

Bad news is always spread faster than news that brings hope. We do this without applying the filter of caution, without assessing whether it is fact or fake news. 

We have the right to be informed, we know that information is power and that we need to stay in touch with immediate reality. However, there are moments and circumstances when certain events overwhelm us and suddenly rouse the feeling of impotence. Not knowing what to expect the next day is undoubtedly very frightening and limiting. 

We are used to being in control of immediate reality (at least we think so). But when we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of chaos and things that were safe yesterday no longer correspond to reality today, it hurts us and worries us.

What can we do under these circumstances?

Rest is an attitude and is possible when you accept that you cannot control everything

Fear and nervousness arise in uncertain times. There are also other factors: our environment, information we receive, people close to us who infect us with their emotions and fears … Nothing scares us as much as uncertainty and not knowing what will happen tomorrow.

An example of this: it is much worse not to know if we are going to lose our job than to have already lost it. The brain acts differently in every situation. We must therefore learn to tolerate the uncertainty.

We have to accept  that while we are not in control of certain things, we can decide for ourselves how to respond and face this situation. This is exactly the key.

• Acting calmly is the best attitude. This allows us to focus mentally on responding in the best possible way: sensibly and appropriately, by doing the best of ourselves.

In the midst of chaos: clear your mind of catastrophic thoughts

Catastrophic thoughts do not help in the midst of chaos, on the contrary, they bring you closer to the abyss. In the midst of difficulties, a stage full of doubts and problems, your mind should be your best ally and not your enemy who makes every step difficult.

It is therefore of vital importance to be able to “purify” our obstructing thoughts because they feed fear rather than help us find a solution. You are only responsible for more problems.

We need to be aware of this and erase our internal negative dialogue. Tranquility is the lighthouse that should guide us in the dark. 

In the midst of chaos: you choose who you want to be!

Answering the question of who you want to be during difficult times can help you escape the chaos. Do you want to be a hero or a victim? Who made the situation worse, who helped you? Who can you be proud of or who chose rigidity and panic?

You choose and decide which path to go and which traces you leave behind in these days  when we have to take responsibility to give the best of ourselves.

In this crisis scenario, calm is the best companion who can show you the peaceful and correct path. Take calm by the hand to see things more clearly and to act properly: Take responsibility and get active!

Now is the best time  to act calmly, intelligently, and prudently to face the current changes and uncertainties.