This one is for anyone who is worried by the pandemic - or anything else.

We should be wary of anyone who says, 'All you have to do is....' Even so, researchers who've spent many years observing people who handle crises well have some ideas you might find useful.

One research team has developed a three-point strategy for developing resilience and their ' 3Cs of Hardiness' have been well tested.

Control - Making a plan

Commitment (in two parts)

• Staying committed to the plan (even if we have to modify the plan as we go along)
• Staying committed to our relationships with the people who support us 

Challenge - Seeing worries and adversity as an opportunity to develop our resilience

You might be thinking, 'I do that already!' 

Great, but could you make more of each of those ideas?  Making the strategy work through setbacks and recurring bouts of worry takes determination and courage.

Other researchers have come up with other useful observations we should add to the mix.

• Coping well with a medium level of stress builds our resilience for the next time we need it.
• Helping others makes us happier.
• Optimism and gratitude are contagious.
• Dreaming big can be good, but planning what we will do turns a fantasy into a goal.
• People who plan what they will do when they encounter setbacks to their goals are more resilient.
• Forgiving ourselves when we lapse from our strategies gets us back on track faster.