Settling the mind in unsettling times

It can seem impossible to tap into the steady and wise part of one’s mind when we are in a global pandemic as well as national riots and unrest spurred by the death of George Floyd. And yet, not doing so can only exacerbate the situation.

For seniors in North Carolina, who are encouraged to continue to stay-in-place until at least Phase 3 begins (tentatively scheduled for June 26), the mental stress coupled with social isolation, can at times seem unbearable.

It is a moment to call on the internal tools developed over a lifetime in response to previous excruciating moments, as well as reach out to external resources, such as friends, families, neighbors, churches and organizations, when that is not enough.

Perhaps it is also a time to keep in mind Neurologist Jill Bolte Taylor's finding that the lifespan of an emotion in the body and mind is 90 seconds--unless we feed it.

Let's be honest: sometimes we simply don't have the internal resources to deal with our external situation, as evidenced by the huge spike in calls to helplines across the country. (The federal Disaster and Distress hotline experienced a 891% increase in calls; the Substance Abuse hotline increased five-fold; the use of the National Crisis text line doubled. And the list could go on.)

Here are some incredibly useful, free resources for seniors in North Carolina: