Bartlett Regional | House Calls | Summer 2020

The ART of happiness Radical acceptance can help us cope with what we can’t control As author Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us in No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering , suffering only exists with happiness. He urges readers to remember that if we focus exclusively on pursuing happiness, we may regard suffering as something to be ignored or resisted. The art of happiness is also the art of knowing and learning how to suffer well. He likens this to how the beautiful lotus flower requires mud to grow. This image is timely for us today as we face the COVID-19 pandemic in our community, state and nation. Put it into practice When your worry and anxiety become unbearable, ask yourself, “What can I control?” X X Practice hand hygiene. X X Take social media and news breaks. X X Eat healthfully. X X Keep a healthy sleep schedule. Still struggling with your anxiety or emotional distress? Try these evidence-based ways to help yourself emotionally: X X Yoga. X X Meditation. X X Deep breathing. X X Grounding through connecting with your five senses. X X Calling a family member or friend you can confide in. Radical acceptance Radical acceptance is a mindset that helps us cope with difficulties and suffering. It reminds us that life can be worth living, even when there is pain. By recognizing our emotional struggles and offering acceptance from deep within, we can turn pain we think we cannot tolerate into pain we can manage. Radical acceptance: X X Is when you stop fighting reality. It is letting yourself go with what is happening in the moment, even when you hate what is happening. It is complete and total acceptance. X X Can be to acknowledge, recognize, endure—to not give up or give in. X X Is the opposite of “Why me?” and “Things should not be this way.” There are several other things we can do to help ourselves “suffer well” and practice radical acceptance. X X Remember that we are collectively experiencing this pandemic as a society—no one is truly alone in this experience. X X Adopt an attitude of gratitude: Say it, write it, speak it. Notice how being thankful changes your emotional stance. WELL- BEING www.bartletthospital.org 11