31 - You can protect yourself and be socially conscious too

You can protect yourself and be socially conscious too You may feel right now like you have to chose between looking after yourself or fulfilling your obligations to other people. Confirmed cases are on the rise and the economy is contracting, so it’s natural to be anxious. The instinctual thing to do is to grab what you can and hoard to protect yourself. When we act out of fear or scarcity we almost always end up hurting ourselves, either in the short run or the long run. The best mindset to have is one in which you look for everyone to make the most out of the situation - either by minimising loses or maximising gains. There is no need to martyr yourself nor is there a need for someone to lose for you to win. Yesterday I drastically reduced my work time and number of messages I read/replied to as I felt the overwhelm come on. This small slowdown allows me to be calm for others and help more people today than if I kept on ploughing away. I’m a huge advocate of making sure your internal needs are met and I still believe that the case. Approaching the coming week with the mindset of “we” brings you a sense of togetherness and support, rather than the opposite, which leaves us feeling divided, antagonistic and isolated. You can absolutely protect yourself and be socially conscious/responsible at the same time. Fear is contagious, but so is calm. And you get to chose what emotions you spread and what emotions you let into your mind.