I am sure everyone knows that there is a pandemic going around. A virus that  has put the entire world on hold. Since most of us have not lived through a pandemic, we are probably feeling lost and afraid. We go from having to be somewhere most of the time, to having to be nowhere all of the time. An adjustment that is not so easy to make when you are constantly on the go.

So how do we cope with this new way of living? Here are three things that you can do to help you not only stay sane, but to grow into a better person during these times of tribulation.

Stop watching the news

You already know that there is a pandemic. You already know that you should be social distancing. You already know that you need to stay home and to wash your hands as often as possible. Oh, and drink plenty of water and eat healthy foods. The only thing left for the news to tell you is how many new cases are being recorded, how many deaths have been happened and why you should freak the fuck out. So really, there is nothing left for you to learn from the news. Knowing the numbers does not change what is happening. Keep yourself sane and watch a documentary or read a book instead.

Become in tune with yourself

This pandemic has forced us to sit with our decisions. Did you really build yourself a happy home life? Or did you simply do what you thought you had to do and kept yourself distracted to ignore the truth? I have a feeling that most of us have made some questionable decisions when it comes to our personal lives, but we have never had to address those decisions before now. The good thing is now we have the time to really look into ourselves and find out who we really are on the inside. We are not hair, makeup, nails, cars, boyfriends, husbands, children and careers. We are individual human beings who all have an important role in society. But, we have been trying to be who society tells us to be, and many of us are not happy. And when we are not happy, we treat others poorly. Now is the time to really reflect on who you are and what you want out of this life. You may cry quite a bit and that is OK. In the end, after you reconnect with your soul, you will be so much happier. I promise.

Learn

First thing to accept is that no one knows everything. It is impossible to know everything otherwise there would only be one human on the planet. As people, we are meant to work together for a better future. We can only do so if we begin to listen to each other instead of only listening to televised experts. There are plenty of books to read, songs to listen to, and YouTube videos to watch that will teach you a new skill. So start looking elsewhere for your information. Learn a new skill from a neighbor. Try to plant a garden or paint a picture. Find a place of peace where you can think your own thoughts and exchange them with others, either through social media or phone calls. Question what you see and share your findings. We have an opportunity to grow beyond what we have been told. Take advantage of it.

I know this virus is scary. However, our planet needs us to stop for a minute. Our Earth needs us to pause and see what we have been doing not only to ourselves, but to our planet. We need to realize that the reason so many of us hate our peers is due to unresolved trauma, which makes us believe that others are inferior. Now is the time for us to realize that as humans, we have let the few in power dictate who we need to be to make their profits. However, even they cannot stop the needs of our Earth. So, please, take this time to revisit your soul and find out what it wants, then feed it with what it needs and heal it with love. When we heal ourselves, we can heal others. When we heal others, we heal our planet. When we heal our planet, we can finally live as one with our earth and with each other. Now is the time for us to begin a new life. We deserve so much more than what we have been allowed to achieve. Let’s take this time for reflection and contemplation instead of feeding fear and manipulation.