Here are six more ideas to manage coronavirus anxiety.
7. Look for the positive
As we saw in Managing coronavirus anxiety,Part 1, there are a lot of things that can be funny about this pandemic. But there are also lovely things that can inspire and encourage us.
Witness these quarantined Italians singing with each other or this man in Spain leading his neighbors in an exercise routine.
And there is this lovely sentiment from out in cyberspace:
“Try this perspective shift.
“Instead of seeing social distancing and travel bans as panic, try seeing them as acts of mass cooperation intended to protect the collective whole. This plan is not about individuals going into hiding. It’s a global deep breath . . . an agreement between humans around the planet to be still. Be still, in hopes that the biggest wave can pass without engulfing too many of the vulnerable amongst us.” – Dr. Lindsay Jernigan
8. Help someone else
Positivity researcher Barbara Frederickson writes that one of the best ways to produce positive emotions in ourselves is to help someone else. How do we do that during this time of social distancing? Here in California, we’re currently on a three-week shelter-in-place order with instructions not to gather and, if we’re around people, to stay six feet away from them.
How do we help each other when we can’t be together?
One way is to just let others know you’re there to help if needed. My neighbor reached out through email the other day to say that, even if we can’t get together, she and her husband are right next door if we need anything.
I messaged the man who takes care of our yard to see if he was okay since his other job is shut down right now. He responded by saying he and his family were fine and then offered help to us if we should ever need it.
Help is sometimes in the form of a kind word or a check-in.
For those of you not in shelter-in-place situations, check on elderly friends and neighbors to see if they have enough food (and toilet paper!).
Help out the single parent down the street who suddenly has kids home from a shut-down school but still needs to go to work.
And tell the healthcare professionals, retail workers, and first responders who are working during this crisis that they’re doing a great job and that you appreciate them.
9. Reality check
There are two things to ask ourselves here:
What is real information vs. fake news?
What is reality vs. what my anxious head is saying?
First, there is so much information coming at us in a nonstop manner that we need to be very careful about separating fact from fiction.
A lot of the misinformation that is bandied about on the internet can trigger increased anxiety so be sure to check the sources of the information. Is the source reliable and credible? If there’s no source at all, be very skeptical about the information.
The second question has to do with understanding that our minds don’t always tell us the truth, especially if we’re feeling anxious.
When our amygdala—the seat of our flight-or-flight-or-freeze mechanism—gets fired up, our brain goes into overdrive to make sure we get to safety.
The amygdala will reinterpret the thought, “I might get the coronavirus” as “There’s a saber-toothed tiger bearing down on me right now!!”
Along with the latter thought comes all sorts of reactions in our bodies that prepare us to either fight the threat, run from it, or freeze. Our heart starts pounding, our pulse increases, blood rushes to our muscles . . . this is an emergency!
But it’s not.
The reality is that it’s not actually an emergency. It’s merely the primitive part of our brain reacting in a primitive way.
As mentioned previously in Managing Coronavirus Anxiety, Part 1, it’s helpful to reassure ourselves, and thus our brains, that we’re not facing a saber-toothed tiger and the reality is, we’re safe in this moment.
10. Manage news intake
We’ve all experienced the news changing faster than we’ve ever seen. It can be head-spinning trying to keep up with it.
But constant monitoring of the news cycle can also be disorienting and anxiety-inducing.
Take a break from the news every once in a while. Limit yourself to three updates a day. See if you can take a full day off from any news coverage.
One of my clients told me her roommate feels it’s her responsibility to keep my client apprised of the news on a frequent basis. Too frequent for my client who finds the constant updates nerve wracking.
If you have the Constant Updater in your life, tell them you feel anxious with too much information and ask them to either stop or just summarize it into one lump.
11. Stick with a routine
We are creatures of habit and we just don’t like it when our routine gets disrupted.
So don’t let this pandemic disrupt it!
Routines are comforting to us and we need to guard them carefully. But we also need to have some flexibility to adapt them or even create brand new ones if something like, oh, I don’t know, a pandemic should arise!
Sure, you might not be able to get your venti Caramel Cloud Macchiato right now, but maybe you can substitute your own homemade coffee into your routine.
Try to get up at the same time every day and make that homespun Macchiato.
Establish other steps in your routine now that you’re working from home or home-schooling the kids.
Be sure to stick to the new plan until it becomes a routine. Allow yourself to find comfort as you go about your day and your calming routine.
12. Take a deep breath
Before you roll your eyes at this common piece of advice, hear me out.
Taking a deep breath is helpful in three ways:
- It serves as a cue to come back to the present moment
- It provides more oxygen to the brain, helping us to process the internal and external environment more clearly
- Expanding the diaphragm stimulates the vagus nerve, which is a part of our calming parasympathetic nervous system. Taking a deep breath soothes us and helps the body to relax.
When taking a deep breath, inhale through the nose until you have filled your lungs, then exhale through the mouth until your lungs are completely empty.
Note: Don’t take too many deep breaths in a row or you’ll hyperventilate!
Friends, we can do this. We will make it through this unprecedented time by taking care of ourselves and each other.
If you have a topic you’d like to see me address during this time, please write it in the comments below. I want to help you so know that I’m listening!
Katelyn @ Uvraylights says
This is very much needed. I don’t think people realize that verbalizing fear isn’t a contribution. It’s almost like a second virus.
Katelyn @ Uvraylights recently posted…Advantages of Using Far-UV Light
Ronald Barnes says
Greetings,
I read your article and found it informative and very helpful. I want to add more value in it. The consequences alluded to the high-quality consequences on hospitals having long gone thru the accreditation adventure and supported the gathering of required facts associated with COVID-19.
What’s your opinion about it?