HOW CAN YOU MANAGE YOUR ANXIETY DURING COVID-19?
The outbreak of COVID-19 has been stressful for most people. Many people have been experiencing high anxiety around it. Anxiety is a normal experience. Anxiety is your body trying to warn and protect your from danger. Anxiety is unhealthy when it is consuming and impairing your daily life. Are you finding yourself constantly reading about COVID-19? Are you running into stores in fear they may run out of things? Are you afraid of “what may” happen? Many people’s anxiety towards COVID-19 is centered around the fear of the unknown. No one knows what is going to happen next. That is the reason why so many stores have empty shelves. Businesses are closing their doors. People are fearful of running out food and household supplies. As you can see, anxiety can lead to unhealthy behaviors (running to stores, clearing shelves, excessive spending).
I am going to share with you some things that you can do now to manage your anxiety during COVID-19 outbreak.
Limit your television and news time. It is important to be informed with the news but make sure you are not constantly checking the news channels. Maybe check 1-2 times a day so you are informed and aware of what is going on. Also, make sure that you are reading from reliable news sources.
Engage in some self-care. Many people are off from work and have a lot of extra time. Instead of using it to scroll past the thousands of posts on social media, you can engage in some self-care activities. Most places are close, but there are some things that you can do around the house. Do you know that book that you purchased but have not read yet? Yes, that one! Pull it out and read it. Catch up on your favorite television shows. Cook your favorite meal. There are also some at-home workout videos on Youtube that you can try.
Try a deep breathing exercise. You can start by taking a slow breath in through your nose. You should feel your abdomen rise and inhale for five seconds. Hold your breath and count to two. Slowly exhale and make sure your mouth is relaxed. Exhale for a count of six seconds. Repeat these steps. Deep breathing takes practice. This something that you can try throughout the day; especially when you are feeling anxious.
Schedule a worry time. This may be hard to do as well and take a lot of practice. You will need to decide when will be your time to worry and think about COVID-19. I would recommend after you have watched or read the news since it will be fresh on your mind. You can choose whatever time works for you. During that worry time, you are able to acknowledge those thoughts and feelings that you have. It can be for 15-30 minutes up to three times per day. If you find yourself worrying about it outside of your worry time, write down your worries and put them to the side to think about later.
Remain positive. Use this time wisely. I know it is hard to find the positive during a situation like this, but there is something that you can learn from it all. Now, dig deep. What is something that you have learned since this has occurred? Also, now is a good time to pull out your vision board or list of goals that you made at the beginning of the year. Choose one of those goals to focus on now. Use this as an opportunity to learn about a skill or something that you felt you never had the time for. Create that Youtube Channel or that blog. Even that podcast that you have been talking about.
If you are continuing to have a hard time processing your thoughts and feelings around COVID-19, there is help available. I, along with many of other licensed mental health professionals are still available for in-person, phone, or video sessions. You can contact me via phone at 318-436-2066 if you have any questions.