Free Yourself From Fear: Coping with the Coronavirus, COVID-19

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Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash

A colleague, Dr Naomi Baum, has written a free booklet, which I will present here, with her permission. It is a 7 day journey, which I will present over the next 7 days. Her website: naomibaum.com

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Before getting started, I recommend that you get a notebook that will accompany you as you read this book and do the exercises. Any size notebook will work. I personally favour notebooks with nice covers, but that is up to you. This notebook will be your Journal. Keep it near you, as you read this book, so that you can do the exercises that require writing and track your progress.

HOW THIS WORKS

The is written as a seven-day journey. That means that each day covers a different topic. You can work through the book in one week, choosing one exercise from each chapter. However, many of you may prefer to take it more slowly. In order to do that, you may turn each day into a full week, and spend some time over the week doing the exercises, trying out some new behaviors, and reflecting on what worked for you and what did not. There is often more than one exercise suggested. Feel free to experiment. Be forewarned. Not every suggestion here will work for every person. Each one of you is different. Find what works for you.

Day 1. Learning to Breathe

Before diving in to our fears, I want to provide you with a life preserver. This life preserver will give you the confidence to jump into the deep waters facing your fears, and help you float back up to the surface if you feel that you are getting out of your depth and sinking. It is actually quite a simple skill and something that we do every day.

What is it? Breathing.

Why do we have to learn how to breathe? Don't we already know how to do that? We breathe all day and all night long without paying much attention to it. Thankfully. Imagine what it would be like if we had to think each time before we took a breath. So, why do we need to learn to breathe. To answer that question we will do a short exercise.

EXERCISE: LEARNING TO BREATHE

Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach.

Now breathe.

What did you notice? Where was your breath coming from?

You probably answered, "My chest."

Now, if you can, find a baby, and have a look at how that baby is breathing. What is the difference between the way you breathe and the way the baby breathes?

If you cannot find a baby, I will share with you what we know. Babies, when they are first born, breathe into their abdomen. Notice the next time you are around a baby that when the baby breathes its stomach goes up and down. As we get older, we lose that skill and begin to breathe from our chest. This shallow breathing means that we do not fully fill up our lungs. As a result, we take more breaths that are less effective at re-oxygenating our blood. When we experience stress and anxiety, our breath becomes even more rapid and shallow, and thus, even less effective.

A hallmark of deep relaxation is taking deep breaths, bringing the breath all the way down into our stomach or abdomen. Deep, mindful breathing can quickly restore a sense of calm and relaxation. It is an instant de-stressor.

Let's try another exercise.

EXERCISE: MINUTE OF MINDFULNESS

Place your right hand on your chest and your left hand on your abdomen. Close your mouth and try to breathe in through your nose. If you have trouble breathing through your nose, open your mouth slightly. Bring the breath as far down as you can. Hold it for a moment or two. Breathe out slowly through your mouth.

Let's try that again. Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth.

Many people find it helpful to count while they breathe. Each one of you will find your own pace, but initially, try breathing in through your nose to the count of four, holding your breath for a moment or two, and then breathing out slowly through your mouth to the count of six.

Repeat.

Notice as you are breathing how you are able to bring the breath into your belly. Place your hands on your belly and watch them rise.

Now do it two more times.

The goal of this exercise is to re teach your body how to breathe deeply, and intentionally. This will cause a relaxation response in your body and often works much better than saying to yourself, "relax," or "slow down."

HOMEWORK

1. Practice breathing daily.

2. Choose two times during the day that you will set aside one minute (60 seconds) to breathe.

3. If possible, close your eyes, and take four complete breaths, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.

4. If you prefer counting, you may count as you breathe. Alternatively, you may choose two words to say to yourself, the first word for when you breathe in, and the second word for when you breathe. For example, you can say "in" and "out", or you can choose any other set of words that you like. "Soft" and "belly" are two other favorite words to use as you breathe in and out. When you breathe in and say soft, imagine your body softening, and as you breathe out and say "belly", imagine your belly relaxing.

5. When you finish taking four complete breaths, notice how your body feels. Notice how you are feeling.

6. Record your progress in your Journal. It is helpful to set up a chart for the entire week that looks something like this.

DAY TIME OF DAY 1 TIME OF DAY 2. No. of BREATHS COMMENTS

SUN

MON

TUES

WED

THURS

FRI

SAT