Opinion: An Emotional Pandemic

By Flavio Iammarino
For NewsNow

At this present moment we are living under a dark cloud which I call FEAR. When we speak of fear it means there is an absence of courage, and what fuels courage is FAITH.

With faith we can focus and believe that all is possible – health, love, peace and joy, without worrying about how these things are going to come to us. Fear is brought on by focusing on what is bad, what can go wrong, and what can bring sadness, loss, sickness or death.

The way this pandemic is being handled actually has created a new pandemic that I refer to as an Emotional Pandemic – and there is no vaccine that can fix it.

Through my many years of counselling clients I have learned that the mind has the power to either accept or reject something.

Example: The mind has the power to accept or reject pain, either physical or emotional pain. And the mind has the power to accept or reject feelings of fear.

In order for us to move on in a healthy way, first we must distance ourselves from all negative people and situations and turn off all media that delivers negative information, and promotes fear, doom and gloom. Instead we must remain in faith.

Connect with people that are positive and proactive instead of people who are negative and reactive. People who are proactive focus their thoughts on positive possibilities.

It is beneficial to include positive practises into your daily lifestyle like meditation or prayer; eating the right foods and taking the right vitamins that nourish your body and mind; laugh more – it’s good for your spirit; get lots of rest – sleep is very important; and be more aware; also listen to the words that you speak – if they are negative then change them to positive.

We are social beings and although there are restrictions in place that prevent us from doing many things, we can still use our mind to stay positive, happy, heathy and connected with others.

Pick up the phone and talk to a relative, family member or friend – hearing a friendly voice has an immediate positive effect on our well-being.

If you have young children in your life it is important to remember that the way they respond to situations either positive or negative is determined by the way their parents, family members, teachers, and role models respond.

If the people closest to the child respond with fear, the child will also learn this reaction and they will respond with fear as well. If courage and strength are projected, the child will also be strong and courageous. If you are a parent or someone that interacts with children and you are feeling afraid, keep the fear to yourself.

Teach the children around you to be positive, proactive and strong because if they learn to be reactive instead of proactive it will have a negative lasting effect on them. You must understand that whatever emotions and feelings that you project your children will automatically pick them up. Some people believe that if their children are afraid, they will be cautious and protected, but this is not true.

We must understand that negative emotions harm the physical body and being afraid is a negative emotion. What protects us is the learning from our experiences.

Be aware of your actions, words, and behaviours because your children are learning from your every move. Teach them to be proactive and live a life of joy, strength, health and peace – a life where anything is possible.

Many of us are going stir crazy and juggling many emotions during these strange times but remember that ultimately you are responsible for your thoughts, words, actions, and feelings.

Even if it’s by phone, email or on social media, connect with people that are happy, passionate, loving, caring and who believe in possibilities – they will keep you in the right mindset and contribute to your own emotional well-being in a positive way.

But if you are struggling emotionally or having a dark day dealing with this pandemic you are not alone. If you feel sad, depressed, anxious or suicidal and need help please call Flavio Iammarino at 905-684-1717.

(Flavio Iammarino is a Behavioural Therapist with a Ph.D. in Behavioural Science and practices Clinical Hypnosis)