By Esther Cohen

Talking about spiritual connection and belief is something many counsellors shy away from. Yet in later life, Carl Rogers, the father of Person-Centred Counselling, acknowledged the importance of spirituality and faith.

When the going gets tough, and many people are finding it tough right now, we can regulate our feelings by giving ourselves permission not to think, not to wonder and not to get dragged into the imaginative world of ‘what if’.

Our brains are wired to sense danger as a means of self-preservation. When danger, real or imaginary is perceived, the brain’s red alert rings loud and clear causing our nervous system to kick into action. This triggers the fight, flight, freeze or comply response.

As I child, I looked for safety in predictability. Whether it was during the Yom Kippur War or watching a soap opera, I would ask my mother to forecast what would happen. Knowledge brought by prediction can bring the illusion of safety.

As adults, many of us still find safety in predictability instead of embracing life as it is. We overthink things and scour through dozens of possibilities so that we are prepared for the worst-case scenario just in case…

When times are hard, the best thing we can do is to give ourselves the luxury of not thinking, not wondering, and not predicting. Take a deep breath. Breath in faith and trust. Breathe out and blow away worry and uncertainty. Breathe in calm and blow away fear. Remind yourself to have faith and cultivate gratitude and positivity. Negative thoughts are exhausting and draining. Positive thoughts bring hope and action and are invigorating.

So

Just breathe and have faith. Everything will work out for the best.