In these uncertain times, strongly marked by the coronavirus and its economic impact, I looked into the question of how to better manage your mind in the face of the current crisis situation. Because it is indeed a crisis, where anxiety and fear point their noses at any street corner. People empty the shelves of toilet paper, steal masks and gloves in hospitals, are overcome with fear when someone nearby has the misfortune to cough, do not go out, do not shake hands, ...
More than a crisis, I have the feeling that it has become a psychosis!
Psychosis that has a significant economic impact: companies are cutting their budgets and postpone investments, trainings are cancelled, tourist and professional flights are cancelled, and some entities lack the raw materials to produce goods. The growth of the world economy has been revised downwards (from 2.9% to 2.4%), the oil price continues to fall, stocks and bonds are declining ...
The French, Belgian and Luxembourg governments have decided to take drastic measures to stem the spread of the Coronavirus. A courageous and probably justified act.
The question that triggers me is more how not to panic, and remain cool-headed in order to better manage our emotions, our decisions, our reactions and impacts. Panicking and letting our decisions be influenced by our reptilian brain will not lead to healthy responses, and could lead to lasting economic problems. As an individual, as a leader, it is our responsibility to manage our emotions and develop our resilience.
Some insights in the functioning of our brain
The human brain is wired to maximize pleasure and minimize threats. Any source of uncertainty represents a potential risk to our individual survival. Faced with uncertainty and the risks we perceive, our "security bias" will lead us to deeply examine the potential dangers and discredit the positive data.
In the context of the coronavirus, there is great uncertainty in relation to many parameters and in the absence of solid factual data, our brain will opt by default for the "worse-case scenario". Seasonal flu, displaying similar symptoms, does not generate the same state of panic as there is a degree of knowledge and control over it. It is more the uncertainty that is at the heart of current fear reactions. It is not so much the virus that worries as the lack of clarity regarding the future and its evolution.
And uncertainty is all around us, and fuelled 24 hours a day by the media. Uncertainty about how the virus spreads, uncertainty about how to control it, uncertainty about the lifetime of the virus on surfaces, uncertainty about the actual mortality rate etc. Uncertainty and the feeling of lack of control are perceived as a source of danger by our brain, which triggers a stress reaction.
To overcome the uncertainty and the lack of information, our brain will also fill the grey areas. This combined with our “negativity bias” (tendency to focus on the negative elements) gives rise to multiple rumours such as "a virus created in a laboratory to decimate the population"! (Note that if that was the intention, I trust our laboratories are able to create a much more effective viral bomb!).
Faced with uncertainty, the individual's reaction is search information in the media. No matter where you turn your head, we talk about coronavirus. Continuous communication in newspapers, television, radio etc. leads people to overestimate the importance of danger. Different studies have demonstrated the link between media overexposure and people's stress levels. The media is a double-edged sword. When will the media be more responsible for their impact on society and the economy? Never forget that the media also have a profitability and listening time objective so their job is to capture your attention. It is our individual responsibility and our capacity for discernment to decide where we want to focus our attention. So, at your level, what media consumption do you think is most appropriate to stay in control of your mind, calm and able to make the right decisions with discernment? David Rock, neuroscience expert, advises to limit your media consumption on the coronavirus to 10 min / day.
Be the CEO of your mind
You have the power to influence your mind. You have the choice at any time to decide what to pay attention to, where to focus on. Your thoughts influence your emotions and reactions ... and you are in control of your thought. Our brain is wired for our individual survival and we have “negativity and security biases”, but it is up to each of us to decide to train our brain to focus on the opportunities and solutions rather than the dangers and risks. Your state of mind will influence your perception of reality, will have an impact on your health and your immune system, on your performance and energy level in general.
Concretely, how to go about it?
Slow down and explore with a sense of curiosity and non-judgment the thoughts that are crossing your mind. We operate in automatic mode most of the time, without being aware of our automatic behaviours or limiting thoughts
Assess the quality of your thoughts and how beneficial they are to you
Decide which alternative thoughts you could substitute to your current thoughts
Also decide what information you will “take in” and analyse it with discernment and critical thinking. Are you going to focus mainly on the negative elements or are you going to train your brain to also include in its field of vision the positive developments and the opportunities underlying the current situation? In the case of the coronavirus, you have the possibility of filtering only the data highlighting the evolution of the virus, the number of deaths, the economic impact, etc. (i.e. 133,970 people infected worldwide in 120 countries, nearly 5,000 deaths). You can also take into account that the spread rate has decreased in China (8 new infections on Thursday, the lowest figure since the publication of statistics), that in Japan the number of people healed surpassed that of new infections on Thursday, that in 80% of the cases the symptoms of the coronavirus are weak to the point that infected people have not been declared in the statistics thus reducing the real rate of mortality, etc.).
You can also decide to see the opportunity underlying the current political decisions such as quality time with your children. As a freelancer (like I am), you can be overwhelmed by stress with regard to the drastic fall of your revenues or decide to use this time to the best to develop alternative solutions that have been germinating in your mind for some time.
It is up to you to decide what to focus on, and which neural networks and ways of thinking you will strengthen.
Relationship between Mind-body-emotion
Beyond mental management, you can strengthen your physical and emotional intelligence to increase your resilience. Our three intelligences (mental, emotional and physical) influence each other continuously, and different studies in neuroscience offer fascinating insights on this subject. I will not be able to expand on the subject in this article, and therefore offer to give you some key points.
Physical: physical activity improves our mental and cognitive functioning and has a positive impact on our mood. It is a simple and effective way to maximize our brain potential and manage our emotional state. Plan physical activities (jogging, walking, etc.). In addition, to face the coronavirus, strengthen your immune system by taking vitamins D and C, consider taking a propolis cure, or even take essential oils (e.g. ravintsara). Healthy eating, optimal hydration and restful sleep are also fundamental for an optimal mind.
Emotional: positive emotions are associated with better cognitive ability, greater ability to step back and problem solving. Positive emotions also build resilience (mental and physical). Changing your physical posture (e.g. by jumping, smiling, ...) can influence your emotional state.
Mental: managing one's mind and developing a positive state of mind impacts our performance, the quality of our interactions, our health and immune system, our physical strength. As mentioned above, decide consciously what you will pay attention to and what information you will take in.
Adaptive changes in a world where change is the new norm
In my view, the coronavirus is one illustration, one case among others, of an adaptive problem specific to an uncertain, complex and constantly changing world. I honestly admit the current situation is impressive and a source of suffering for many families facing death.
In an interconnected VUCA world, we will be facing new challenges, to which we’ll need to adapt. These adaptive challenges force us to ask ourselves several questions
Faced with uncertainty, how do we manage our mind, stay calm and activate our adaptive thinking for optimal decision-making?
As a leader, how can we remain cool-headed, instil calm in the teams and display courage?
As a company, what initiatives should be put in place to stimulate the flexibility and agility of its system in the face of major challenges? How to stimulate individual, collective and organizational resilience?
What is the role of the press in managing adaptive problems?
Adaptive problems are an invitation to reinvent ourselves, to question ourselves in order to better bounce back in the future. They are sources of concern, of course, but also of opportunity and reinvention. The more we are able to develop our individual and collective resilience, the more we will be able to navigate a world in perpetual change and seize the opportunities while managing the potential risks.
I look forward to reading you and sharing more with you on this subject!
Alexandra