6 Tangible Ways To Remain Emotionally Resilient During The Coronavirus

Amid the global pandemic, strengthening our resilience muscle has never been so important—in a time of uncertainty and crisis, it's more crucial now than ever to remain mentally and emotionally tough. 

That's exactly why we consulted Ryan Holiday, author of the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Stillness Is the Key, on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. Holiday frequently finds inspiration from people who remain resilient and endure the unexpected (it's why he's so drawn to philosophers, as many were exiled or ostracized from society). When asked how we can strengthen our resilience during this time, he quotes Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield: "There are six things that I could do right now, all of which will help make things better. There's no problem so bad that you can't make it worse."

You've heard it all over news outlets and social media feeds: Stay home! 

We've heard time and time again to limit our news sources to only a few trusted outlets; Holiday takes it a step further by saying we should limit our news to only what is actually "new." 

"Make sure when you're consuming information, it's not just telling you more of what you already know, which is that things are scary and bad," Holiday tells me. We know the crisis is still happening, we know we should still stay home and wash our hands, and we know to expect the pandemic to last for a while—when news sources are constantly telling us what we know, it may cause even more frustration and anxiety over what we can't control. 

This is a tricky one, especially if you're dealing with a partner or family member who's not taking the coronavirus seriously. For Holiday, it was having conversations with his mother to make sure she wouldn't go visit his grandmother in her retirement home. For you, it might be advising a family member not to leave home, or it might be FaceTiming a friend to make sure they're getting enough social connection.

Thinking about how you can use this time for personal growth can help meaning come out of this suffering, says Holiday. One way to procure meaning out of this experience is to be positive about how this time can help you be productive with fewer interruptions or distractions. 

Finally, Holiday wants us to learn that we are not as invincible as we may think. The harsh reality of COVID-19 has made mortality real for many; according to Holiday, we might not really understand how fragile life is until the threat of death is hanging right in our faces. When we emerge from this experience, let that notion help you realize what's truly important in this life.

"Life doesn't care about your plans," Holiday adds. "You can leave life right now; let that determine what you say and think."