Everyone is dancing with fear right now. It’s unavoidable; it’s in the atmosphere; it’s a constant thread woven through the media reports we’re consuming to stay informed; and having fear is understandable given the haphazard, disorganized government response to the coronavirus in the U.S.

But the challenge of this pandemic is also presenting us with an opportunity – the opportunity to develop as skillful a relationship as we can with fear. If we can do that, we’ll have a strength and skill that we can continue to make use of even when this crisis is over. Here are some of my suggestions for how to do it:

Meet fear with deep compassion

I’ve never resolved any difficult emotions by shaming myself for having them, denying them, or just telling myself to not feel the way I do. Approaching fear with compassion is the only way to navigate it without becoming consumed. Give love to the part of you that is afraid or anxious. Be patient with it. Be present with it. And let that be enough.

The goal is faith over fear, but there’s also the reality of the road we take to get to that point. It’s a road in which we’ll experience varying degrees of fear. Fear might be something we have to dance with. We might struggle with it before we overcome. That’s okay. Accept all of yourself. Self-compassion is an approach that has far-reaching, healing effects on the soul. There’s no better time to practice it than now.

Become intimate with fear and find your antidote

It’s also a good time – since we have to go through this challenge anyway – to witness what your version of fear looks like. How does it show up in your body? Muscle constriction, tight shoulders, shallow breathing, anyone? Notice. And then experiment and notice what helps ease fear for you. For example, deep breathing, prayer, staying in the present moment, listening to soothing music, meditation, physical touch, laughter.

I’m discovering that for me, it’s deep breathing; going to the park and standing not on pavement but on soil; listening to calming music; laughing with friends; singing or humming; and often, just rest. Limiting media reports. Prayer, lots of prayer.

What soothes your soul? This self-knowledge is priceless.

Witness the positive messages in your fear

Another useful exploration is to notice what positive things your fear or anxiety is telling you. For example:

Are you worried about someone?

The fear/anxiety is telling you who you value, who you love, who’s important to you.

Are you worried about how this situation is changing your life, for example activities you’re not able to be a part of right now due to quarantining, social isolation, etc.?

The fear/worry is showing you what parts of your life are most important to you.

Are you realizing, based on this experience with fear, that you’ve become distanced from the spiritual practices that used to ground you and give you sustenance and peace?

The fear is pointing you to inner sources of soul replenishment that you do have the ability to access. The fear might be also calling you to reestablish intimacy with those practices and with your spiritual life.

Are you thinking about your own mortality, worried that something might happen to you and feeling anxious as your heart remembers all of the hopes you have for your life?

The fear/worry is telling you a major truth: that you are someone of value with reason to live and a purpose to accomplish. Maybe you weren’t feeling that way before this, in which case this would be a huge revelation and a major light for you to hold onto going forward.

The time we’re living through is making many positive things crystal clear to us, if we can practice the witness to notice them.

This is a challenge no one can get away from. But we can use the experience for our good so that when we come out of it, we will be better off. Let’s learn how to move and dance with fear, and develop strength in the face of it. Be present with yourself. Practice compassion. Surrender. Fear is connected to our relationship to the unknown, to mystery, which is ultimately about our relationship to God. God is safe. God is holy love, and love is the very antidote to fear. If we can use fear in the right way, it can be a through line straight to love, straight to that which is sacred and everlasting.

Wishing you the deepest peace today.