Learn from Various Experts How to Handle Distressing Times
Table of Contents
It has been a strange couple of months, hasn’t it? The whole world has been shaken upside down due to, as you well know, the coronavirus pandemic.
Every time you read, see, and hear anything, it is the hot topic being discussed. And it still will be for the rest of the year and for years to come.
The longer something lasts and the more of an emotional aftermath it leaves on people’s lives and on society, the more it will be remembered and leave its mark.
And we can certainly say that the coronavirus pandemic has done that.
And when you are powerless to avoid or solve it, when it affects your finances, your wellbeing, and it changes your whole life, it can be distressing and even traumatic for us.
Now, this pandemic (a global outbreak of a disease) has been one of the many that have happened in the past (the Spanish flu, the Asian flu, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, just to name a few) and the many more that will still happen in the future.
This is not to say that it is something we should avoid, but rather to say that global events, such as a pandemic or other events such as wars, will inevitably happen again.
In any situation, however, there is always a choice about how we react to these events. And that is precisely what this episode on The IPS Podcast covers: ways to handle disasters and distressing times, like the one we are facing currently.
The pieces of advice in this episode come from a variety of experts from different backgrounds, such as an ex-SAS Commander, a pancreatic cancer survivor, a monk who lived for 37 years in a monastery, among many other incredible professionals.
All these people have been guests here on The IPS Podcast at one time or another. Meaning, if you’d like to pick their brain and learn even more from them, you can find a brief description of who they are together with the full episode of their guest stint on The IPS Podcast here.
Bruce Langford:
Bruce Langford is a life coach and host of the popular podcast Mindfulness Mode. He also offers consulting and one-on-one coaching. Learn more about mindfulness from someone like Bruce, who has had tons of years of experience, in the interview we did on The IPS Podcast: EP 002 – Bruce Langford: How to Take Control Over the Mind and Live in the Moment.
Debra Moffitt:
Debra Moffitt is an award-winning author. She also holds writing retreats, workshops, and writing circles. If you are curious to learn more from Debra, do have a listen to her episode: EP 003 – Unleashing Creativity with Award-Winning Author Debra Moffitt
Paul Gilmartin:
Paul Gilmartin is a standup comedian and host of one of the most listened to podcasts on mental health and mental illness, The Mental Illness Happy Hour.
If you’d like to learn more about Paul and how humor can help with mental health, do have a listen to his episode: EP 005 – Paul Gilmartin on Depression, Anxiety, Suicide… The Fight Against Our Inner Demons.
Muni Natarajan:
For 37 years, Muni lived as a monk in a Hindu monastery on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. During his monastery years, Muni (also known as Natarajnathaswami) served as a primary teacher of younger monks.
After departing the monastery in 2007, Muni married Mary Beth Natarajan and has since been writing books about yoga.
He offers classes, workshops, and retreats. If you’d like to learn even more from Muni’s wisdom, do have a listen to the full interview: EP 006 – Muni Natarajan – The Wisdom of a Monk Who Lived for 37 Years in a Monastery.
Martin Inderbtizen:
Martin Inderbitzen is a neuroscientist and founder of My Survival Story, which he founded after having survived pancreatic cancer. My Survival Story is a platform that shares stories of cancer survivors.
You can follow Martin on his Instagram account. And if you are interested, here is his full interview on The IPS Podcast: EP 010 – Martin Inderbitzin: Tasting Death, a Survival Story of Pancreatic Cancer – The Lessons, The Hardships, and Becoming a Triathlete.
Richard Ayling:
Richard Ayling is one of the first international Wim Hof Method instructors. He is also the founder of Re-Align, a program designed to help entrepreneurs and people in transition accelerate their growth and find ultimate meaning in what they do.
He regularly holds workshops and seminars on these topics, and he also offers one-on-one coaching sessions.
Follow Rich on Instagram and discover more about the Wim Hof Method, Rich’s story and lessons in the full interview: EP 011 – Richard Ayling on How to Become Superhuman, Master the Mind and Body, and Influence the Autonomic Nervous System.
Kristina Paltén:
Kristina Paltén is an ultra-runner, two-time world-record holder, and the first woman to run alone through Iran. Her run through Iran has also been made into a documentary, inspiring thousands of people.
Follow her on Instagram, and learn more about Kristina’s incredible mind in the full interview: EP 013 – Kristina Paltén, Ultra Runner – Alone Through Iran, 1144 Miles of Trust, Prejudice, and Human Kindness.
Rich Hungerford:
Rich Hungerford is an ex-SAS Patrol commander in the Australian army. Today, Rich runs one of the best survival schools in Australia, Bushlore Survival. Follow him on Facebook and YouTube, and have a listen to the fascinating interview he did with The IPS Podcast: EP 017 – Within the Mind of a Warrior: Rich Hungerford, Former SAS Patrol Commander.
With that, we hope that this episode here at The IPS Project on how to handle distressing times will be useful to you. And from the whole team, we send our deepest sympathies to you for whatever struggles COVID-19 may have caused in your life.
Below, you will also find additional helpful resources to tide you through these distressing times.
EP 022: Learn from Various Experts How to Handle Distressing Times (COVID-19 Special Episode)
Resources Mentioned:
- – Emotional Intelligence 101: Become the Master of Your Life (Learn about mental health, happiness, love, and much more. Start living a happier, healthier, and more meaningful life!)
- – Stress Management Through Mindfulness, Yoga, and Meditation (Learn practices from certified stress educator and yoga teacher Maria Zayani on how to deal with stress and anxiety.)
- – Master CONFIDENCE & GOAL SETTING from a World Record Holder (X2 World Record Holder Kristina Paltén Teaches Goal Setting, Self-Confidence, and Changing the Impossible to POSSIBLE)
- – Awareness (The heart of Anthony de Mello’s bestselling spiritual message is awareness. Mixing Christian spirituality, Buddhist parables, Hindu breathing exercises, and psychological insight, de Mello’s words of hope come together in Awareness in a grand synthesis.)
- – The Book of Joy (Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet.)
- – Buddha’s Brain (Great teachers like the Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, and Gandhi were all born with brains built essentially like anyone else’s―and then they changed their brains in ways that changed the world. Science is now revealing how the flow of thoughts actually sculpts the brain, and more and more, we are learning that it’s possible to strengthen positive brain states.)
- – The Power of Now (It’s no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over2 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light.)
- – Man’s Search for Meaning (This seminal book, which has been called “one of the outstanding contributions to psychological thought” by Carl Rogers and “one of the great books of our time” by Harold Kushner, has been translated into more than fifty languages and sold over sixteen million copies. “An enduring work of survival literature,” according to the New York Times, Viktor Frankl’s riveting account of his time in the Nazi concentration camps, and his insightful exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of the worst adversity, has offered solace and guidance to generations of readers since it was first published in 1946.
- – Feeling Unhappy? Research Shows Laughter is the Best Medicine
- – Rick Hanson: “Resilient” | Talks at Google
- – Resilience During A Time of Fear
- – How Do I Tilt Toward Good Emotions When There’s So Much Sadness in My Life
- – Why you should define your fears instead of your goals | Tim Ferriss
You may also like these episodes:
- – EP 012 – Mark Henick – Mental Health Advocate, Coping With Suicidal Thoughts
- – EP 019 – Dr. Guy Macpherson, Ph.D. What is Psychological Trauma and How to Heal It
- – EP 021 – How to Rewire Your Brain to Be Happy | Dr. Rick Hanson, Ph.D. | The Science of Happiness
Question about this episode: What has been helpful for you during these distressing times?
Did you enjoy this episode?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Your Voice Matters!
- Gary Chapman – Love is a choice you make everyday - June 26, 2022
- Bonus Episode – Kristina Paltén: The Questions That Were Not Asked - June 23, 2022
- Paulo Coelho – Don’t Give in To Your Fears - May 7, 2022
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