Calm Is Contagious

What a year 2020 has been so far. People are losing their lives, losing their jobs, working from home, making decisions about laying people, trying to help, trying to stay safe, and, and, and it goes on. One of the most powerful things we can do right now is to help ourselves and others stay calm. Calm is contagious. Researcher/author/speaker Brené Brown offers two questions we can ask whenever we see or feel the panic coming on. They are:

1. Do I have enough data to freak out?

2. Will freaking out help even if I have enough data?

For #1, substitute evidence or proof or whatever works for “data” in the person’s head who is freaking out. For #2 realize that the answer is always “no,” but the question still needs to be asked to acknowledge the answer. These two simple questions are a great way to get off of the ledge. They force us to step back and take control over what we can control.

The easiest way to make a bad situation worse is to add bad behavior to it. Getting out of bad situations requires proper behavior. No freaking out. No panicking. Detach from the moment and try to see the big picture. Once we understand what is going on, we can choose what to do next.

Whether it’s in line at the store or in the midst of a family all trying to work from home, calm is contagious. Panic is non-productive. Ask the questions, plot the next steps, and then actually take them.