Posted by Claudio Santiago on 31 Março, 2021
We are living in a unique moment in the history of our lives. We never imagined that anything could take us off track like this pandemic we are going through. So many technological advances, medications, complex surgeries, 3D printers, artificial intelligence, sophisticated tests, and the world stopped to watch yet another of the diseases similar to those of the past alter the flow not only of societies, but of history as a whole. "When the pandemic began, many people thought it was a fantasy disease. Others believed it was something that would be far away and would never get here. But the disease arrived in Brazil and, with it, a wave of fear makes us realize that conclusive answers are still far away. As a health professional, it is difficult to see the changes of sometimes things get better to the point of our dreams reappearing and sometimes the numbers get worse again with many fatal cases that take many families to an intense desolation", says the Surgeon General Jean Rafael, today one of the most renowned Brazilian lecturers on Stress Management and author of the book "The Science of Gratitude - How to prevent diseases of the mind and apply stress management".
In his daily life accompanying patients, professionals, and entire families, Jean had the opportunity to learn about the main emotions, transformations, and pains of the people involved in the disease process. The information was so much that, as a doctor, Jean wondered how he could help in any way those who are going through difficult situations at this time." There is a very large load of panic and despair in people that causes their reactions to be diverse and disordered, which impacts the chain of suffering and leads to disturbances that can trigger the so-called disorders of the mind. It was with the thought of avoiding these greater evils that I started to create some pillars to build serenity. And the first question I asked myself was: 'Is it possible, even in a moment like this, to have flashes of serenity?
Serenity is the definition given to the characteristic of a person who acts calmly when facing complicated, dangerous, or traumatic situations. According to Jean Rafael, some people have this naturally, while others react in a totally contrary way in these situations. "The good news is that with a little training it is possible to act differently. Neuroscience believes that we can train and improve our responses to life's adversities," says the doctor.
With a history of Panic Syndrome and Depression, the writer also states that the enormous amount of information, goals, demands for results and, mainly, the desire for success was the goal to be achieved in our society and with this, it seemed to be the solution to all problems. "The time we had left was for a quick coffee, a snack in the hallway, or lunch at happy hour after work. With the pandemic, it's as if we had pulled the handbrake all at once, and then the impact was abrupt for many people," Jean jokes. "So a lot of emotions came to the surface and some things that were hidden are starting to come out. We started to realize that the meaning of our existence was a bit distorted," he adds.
So what to do and how to do it?
One thing is a fact: for Jean, the first Pillar of Serenity that he considers the most important is consciousness. "Are we connected to our existential purpose or are we just going through day after day without understanding what moves us to keep going, even in the face of adversity? One day, when I asked my co-workers why we were in the hospital at that moment, most of them said it was to pay the bills. After instigating a dialogue, others said that it was to take care of people, and soon the group widened its view and someone answered: 'These people can be strangers, but also a friend, a neighbor, and even me. With this, we went from a simplistic vision that work is only for paying bills to a new look where what we do impacts not only strangers, but also ourselves. It's a new way of looking at leaving home every day," explains Jean.
The second Pillar is the mind and strategies on how to deal with it. How our habits, behavior patterns, and cycles of suffering work. "In my day to day life as a physician, I have noticed that many of my patients and Consulting clients are unable to love themselves or develop a state of presence. Charging is prevalent in their lives, which leads to frequent complaining and anxious behavior that, in turn, leads to frustration, suffering, and powerlessness in the face of the unexpected. Attitudes such as gratitude, meditation, prayer, rethinking, and emotional agility can make a huge difference in building serenity.
Last but not least comes the Pillar of the physical body. Jean says that this is the easiest to deal with, because people are more open to working on this cause, but, unfortunately, Brazil seems to go against this statement when it shows itself as one of the most sedentary countries in the world. "Obesity and overweight affect more than 50% of the population and Brazilians sleep less each year. All this is a full plate for the appearance of several diseases".
In closing, the medical lecturer lists the 10 characteristics that can make a difference in our mental health right now:
1. Always be grateful - even when things are not going well, we always have something or someone to be grateful for.
2. Exercise at home, if you have to, but get moving! The hormones from physical activity are beneficial to building mental health.
3. Try to enjoy every minute and every second of your life - focus your attention on these moments and an intense motivational force will unveil upon you.
4. In the face of adversity, find what learning that situation wants to show you and what you can change from that situation.
5. 5. Get to know yourself, notice the emotions that are present inside you, and don't fight with them, just accept them and decide what to do next - this is acting instead of reacting.
6. Prepare for bed: read a good book, don't eat too much before going to bed, and listen to relaxing music.
7. Be flexible with what is not up to you to change, do your best, and move on.
8. Try to develop self-love, take care of yourself, and create spaces for yourself on a daily basis - this helps your self-esteem.
9. Cultivate the joy of living and good humor.
10. Create positivity in your life and in the lives of those who are close to you - this makes the environment healthier.
About Jean Rafael
The speaker Jean Rafael is a general surgeon with medical residency at the Hospital Universitário de Alagoas Professor Alberto Antunes. He is a professor of Medicine at Ufal - Federal University of Alagoas - Arapiraca Campus and master coordinator of the subject Health, Science and Spirituality. He has post-graduate degrees in Health Teaching from the Sírio Libanês Hospital, in Health Systems Auditing from Estácio de Sá College in Rio de Janeiro, and in Transpersonal Psychotherapy from the LUMEM Consciousness Expansion Center. He is certified in Stress Management (ISMA - BR) and is a behavioral coach graduated by IFT. He was the winner of the Best Human Resources Project of the Health Secretariat of the State of Alagoas in 2017. He is the author of the book "The Science of Gratitude - How to prevent diseases of the mind and apply stress management" (Literare Books International - 2019).
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