Who cares?
Well maybe they do, but if you care too much what other people think of you, it's time to consider a new focus.
Why? Think of the price you are paying as you try to earn their praise and avoid their criticism.
Maybe you adopt their voice - mimicking what you imagine will be their disapproval. You'll be judging yourself harshly. You'll probably be more stressed than you need to be. You'll choose compliance over independence and safety over new thinking.
There's a better way.
Be clear in your own mind what your values are and live according to them.
That seems easy enough, but you will need to stay focused to make it work. Here are some ideas that should help.
(Apparently it's a fake quote, but if anyone complains then I will remind myself that it supports my theme, I've acknowledged that it's fake
- and Lao Tzu would probably have agreed with it anyway.)
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)
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.