SPECIAL -- Calm in a Crisis

During a pandemic, calm rational action is far more effective than fear-based behavior. This Centers for Disease Control site is an excellent source of guidance. 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi, this is Rob Sepich, with a special edition recorded and
posted on March 12th, 2020.
I rarely talk about currentevents in this podcast, but I'm
making an exception today.
Because of anxiety regarding thecoronavirus, or COVID-19, I'd
like to share a couple ideas tostay calm.

(00:22):
Of the 40 or so episodes on thispodcast, there's one that seems
most applicable, so I'd like torepost that here.
It's"Stay Grounded DuringTurmoil," from about five months
ago.
First, a few words ofintroduction.
Since I'm not a medicalprovider, I'm only sharing my
observations.

(00:42):
I'm following therecommendations of the Centers
for Disease Control to minimizemy risk of becoming ill, like
frequent hand washing with soapand water.
And I'll place a link to the CDCsite in my show notes.
And in the event that I becomeinfected, I'll continue to
follow their recommendations toself-isolate and get medical
advice remotely rather than inperson.

(01:04):
I'm so grateful for those in myarea who were ill and
responsibly isolated themselvesand recovered.
And I'm reassured that thelatest evidence indicates that
75 to 80% of people with thisvirus have fairly mild symptoms
and recover without any medicalintervention.

(01:25):
Those facts help, but panic doesnot.
So I hope you can stay asmindful as possible and follow
advice from public healthexperts.
And my only update to the briefepisode you're about to hear
involves your own power to dosomething about the rising tide
of this illness.

(01:47):
Margaret Mead talked about"nesting in the gale," but with
the coronavirus, we have theability to take the wind out of
the gale.
If we follow public healthrecommendations, we can do more
than weather the storm.
We can actually help calm it.
And people you'll never meetwill be grateful to you.

(02:10):
[ music] Hi, this is Rob Sepich,and welcome to Relaxing with
Rob.
Today, I'd like to share an ideaabout not getting too swept up
by external circumstances.
In what turned out to be just afew months before her death,

(02:33):
cultural anthropologist MargaretMead was doing some lectures
around the country at differentcampuses, and she did one at my
college.
As a student, I was fascinatedto hear about her research on
sex roles around the world andhow to a large extent, they're
culturally determined.
This was fairly pioneering atthe time.

(02:56):
So I had the privilege ofattending this lecture on my
campus and even getting to askher a question at the end.
She had made some reference toher daughter in her talk and
that's what prompted my questionof: what her greatest wish had
been for her.
And Mead said she would haveliked to have wished smooth
sailing, you know, a lifewithout major problems or

(03:18):
trauma, but she knew that wasn'tpossible, no matter how
privileged or fortunate she was.
Nobody's immune to the slingsand arrows of outrageous
fortune.
So instead, what she wished forher was to be able to"nest in
the gale." I had not heard thatexpression before, and it left

(03:40):
quite an impression.
And it became something that Iaimed for during the rest of my
college career.
And same with grad school.
And I got to say, still today.
In the midst of national andinternational political events
that can easily leave me feelingpanicked and powerless, I return

(04:03):
to her words still today.
So if this is something you'reinterested in experimenting
with, here's what you might try.
Think of a problem you'refacing--a difficult
relationship, a challenge atschool or work.
And this problem is justsomething you want to be done
with.

(04:25):
I know somebody who was alwayssaying,"I need for this to be
over." And whenever it was, andeventually it would be, it soon
got replaced by something elseand she would say,"I need for
this to be over." Well, we wantto be free from pain, and we
want to have it just go away.

(04:45):
Or we might be feeling likewhatever's happening is not
fair, and it's probably not.
But what would it be like justto think, maybe just for today,
"I'm going to try to find someway to nest in the gale?" Maybe
to use a scientific fact, or aspiritual or philosophical

(05:06):
belief, or a line from a song ora poem.
Some kind of anchor to feel likeyou're stable enough to make it
through, regardless of thecircumstances.
The perspective you experimentwith about this situation is
within your control.
I firmly believe that.

(05:27):
So if you care to join me whilenesting in the gale, there's
actually plenty of room.
Thank you for listening, andwe'll talk again soon.