From Surviving to Thriving During Pandemic
As we practice social distancing and honouring Safer-at-Home orders in Southern California, we are keeping our fingers on the pulse of the developing pandemic. We’re on survival mode right now, with much of our control…out of our control. Let’s reclaim it! Let’s move from surviving to thriving!
My friend Miss Lateefah points out: “Germs, like bullets, have no names on them.T hey don’t respect us. We don’t respect them. ” In her career at the frontline as a faculty member of a dental school, she has seen the havoc germs wreak.
In the course of human history, infectious diseases have killed more people than all the wars combined. Instead of fighting one another, we have a common enemy. It’s us humans against viruses. We are united!
I have just a few thoughts on two topics to help ease us through this challenging time. I haven’t seen them addressed much, so to bridge the gap, I’ll write a quick note on these two topics.
We see that Asian countries are successfully slowing down the spread. Statistics from Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong are encouraging. Italy and now the States are struggling. Generally, Asian cultures tend to be more compliant and conforming, and our culture tends to be more individualistic—and both qualities are important. It is probably easier for our Asian brothers and sisters to obey orders. As a Canadian, I’m more individualistic than conforming. However, I’m learning to look at compliance as a form of cooperation for the greater good, and I’m choosing it freely. Striving for balance is one of the objectives of yoga. Now I feel the balance between individual choice and cooperation is accessible for me.
Secondly, Safer-at-Home orders may be easier for us if we consider the role of extroversion and introversion in our temperament. Simply, extroverts are energized from stimulation—from sounds, sights, people, lots of people; whereas introverts get their energy from solitude and quiet. Extroverts make up 75% of the population, so introverts are the minority. Now you can see most folks are feeling restless, being cooped up at home. Plus, we are all relational. It’s very challenging for most us to refrain from being with one another.
Yoga is a practice of heightening our self-awareness. Learning where I am on the extroversion-introversion spectrum helps me navigate social distancing. I’m a strong introvert. I’m at home with the Safer-at-Home orders. Yet, I love to move—it’s hard for me to sit still.
How ‘bout you? What are your thoughts? Comments? Questions?