I am not sure about you, but the situation our world is facing right now has left me feeling a little anxious and uncomfortable. Last night I had a tough time sleeping. My mind was racing about my kids, my family, my practice, my staff, our community, our country. In times like this, it is difficult to know all of the right moves and decisions to make. It is unsettling not knowing exactly what the next day will bring and how to best prepare for it. I feel for small business owners and people that are in the service industry, for the elderly and those with health concerns. It is easy to let the wheels of negativity and fear spin over and over and over in our heads.

But, I would ask you to take a moment and find ways to unplug from this, whatever that means to you.

Do you need to take a little break from watching the news or following social media 24/7 because it is causing you anxiety and panic? Do you need to practice extra gratitude for all that you do have right now, be it your health, your loved ones under your safe roof, the fact that you actually did get toilet paper before it became scarce? Do you need to take better care of yourself, making sure you get enough sleep, drink lots of water, and find quiet times to let your mind relax? We can’t always control what enters our minds, but I do believe we can control how long we give it energy.

We all have the opportunity to help lead our families, children, and even our coworkers/employees and friends through these choppy waters with strength, patience, and kindness. To lead isn’t always comfortable. To lead is to bring a sense of safety to our kids as they watch how we manage this unprecedented time in our history. To lead is to practice compassion towards others and to help those you can. To lead is to not let this situation get on top of us emotionally, but to find ways to experience joy and laughter in the heartwarming and happy moments that are going to happen as we all hunker down at home and figure this all out together.

The Branch will continue to be here to offer support, connection and resources in any way we can!

Dr. Cathy Subber
Founder of The Branch