Dr. Robin Anderson, Licensed Psychologist

Feeling on edge during the coronavirus outbreak? Fear not. Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas, science director of The Greater Good Science Center, shares three things you can do now to get through these trying times.

I am sharing this again because I am oscillating between fear, anxiety , panic and well this will be ok... I had a dream last night, after being awake for what ...felt like most of it in panic mode...Two giant grey wolves came running at me while I walked alone in the woods...at first I panicked and was frightened and I still noticed how beautiful they were and I started saying as loud as possible ssssshhhhhh, sssssshhhhh, ssssssshhhhhhh - one sat at my feet and the other rolled over onto his back. I crouched down and rubbed the soft fur of his underbelly. When I woke up I was immediately reminded of this card, this saying. Today I will try and feed the soul and not buy into the fear and let my (most of the time useful) imagination run down the road of terror. I will try. I am sending love and peace to everyone. Perhaps if we could all move into this space collectively - shifts will happen oxo p #songsofcomfort See more

Surviving this crisis will take a shift in mindset, and that’s tougher than we think - especially when we’re afraid. Fear and anxiety can drive us to become ve...ry self-focused. This global pandemic is a real case of getting sick together or staying well together. Our choices affect everyone around us. There is no such thing as individual risk or individual wellness. This is the ultimate reminder that we are inextricably connected to each other. Turning away from collective action right now - as tempting as it is - will only generate more pain. Owning and embracing our global interconnectedness (from a safe distance) and thinking about others as we make choices is, ironically, our only path to safety for ourselves and the people we love. We can all get really shitty really fast when we’re afraid. I get it. I’m using deep breaths along with my personal mantra: Try to be scared without being scary. Feel free to borrow both - they can help. It’s also really normal for everyone to be on our nerves: The people who aren’t following the rules, the 10-second hand washers, etc. I get that too. TRUST ME. But, like it or not, we just can’t give up on people. We’re all we have. Stay awkward, brave, and kind. Love each other. Spread calm. xo, BB

"There is much written about finding one’s life purpose and reaching self actualisation, but do we really need to have one?"

Did you watch the Oscars last night? Check out our list of films that exemplify the best in us (and it includes "Parasite")!

Your words and actions can make a big difference for your partner.

Wisdom From the Slow Lane Here is an interesting article on something may be helpful to our health https://elemental.medium.com/science-confirms-that-the-vagu

Before he was known as a poet and philosopher, David Whyte lived another life as a naturalist. After getting his degree in marine zoology he spent almost two ye...ars living in the Galapagos Islands observing animals, birds, and landscapes. He says in this week’s On Being that this extended period of deep and attentive observation opened him to a new way of understanding the act of paying attention. I began to realize that my identity depended not upon any beliefs I had but my identity actually depended on how much attention I was paying to things that were other than myself, he says. And as you deepen this intentionality and this attention, you started to broaden and deepen your own sense of presence. We’re often shaped by the things we’re lucky enough to be present for. The kind of attention I associate with these moments is often sensory: the color of a summer dusk, the syncopated peacefulness of my siblings snoring in the car on a long drive, or the whisper of a cold gust of wind on a Colorado mountaintop. Gathered together, these quiet details about the world we inhabit can offer grounding when we feel like we’re hurtling through space and time. Being present to the world can even be a salve in moments of loneliness or isolation a reminder that we’re held by all that’s around us, which is what Whyte explores in his poem Everything Is Waiting for You. We have so many allies in this world, Whyte observes in conversation with Krista. Including just the color blue in the sky, which we’re not paying attention to, or the breeze or the ground beneath our feet. It can also be a practice of gratitude (like in Ada Limón’s The Raincoat).

"Neuroscientist Glenn Fox has dedicated his life to studying gratitude how it improves our resilience, lowers stress, and boosts overall health. He’s an expert on the ability of gratitude to help us through tough times."

Here are our picks for the year's best books about the science of a meaningful lifeon everything from optimism to aging to exercise.