This video is a Montefiore production, 22 minutes in length, and intended to provide tips for better managing your emotional state, dealing with stress and reducing anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak.

As the spread of Covid-19 dominates the news, we have all seen and experienced the parallel spread of anxiety. Indeed, in a crisis, our mental state often seems only to exacerbate the challenge, becoming a major obstacle in itself. How can we change this? Mindfulness experts Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter show, by way of the Buddhist parable of the second arrow, how the mind’s response to crisis is a choice we can control. They offer three strategies for restoring yourself and building mental resilience.

The skills leaders need in a crisis — empathy, creative thinking, analytical decision making — are the same ones that are compromised when we’re under extreme stress. Fortunately, meditation can be of tremendous help when you’re facing uncertainty and feeling threatened. Practicing meditation has been shown to reduce anxiety, calm the amygdala, increase our ability for to think creatively and empathetically take other people’s perspective. There are three practices leaders can integrate into their day now. Do a short simple meditation first thing in the morning. Start meetings with a moment of mindfulness for your team. And step back when you find yourself in unproductive thought patterns. Each of these will help you – and those you lead – stay grounded.

Health care workers whose patients are affected by the outbreak should be encouraged to take care of themselves through the recommendations made in this article.