COVID-19 & Anxiety:5 Ways to Cope with Fears and Anxiety
I hope you are all safe during this unusual time. It can be hard to stay calm when there is fear and unease in the media, stories of self-quarantine, and shortages of key supplies. Times like this often brings out fear, stress, and deep emotions.
How do we stay informed and keep our anxiety at bay at a time when you are surrounded by uncertainty? I would like to share a few tips to help you maintain your mental health wellbeing.
- Take a break: Stay informed but refer to trusted sources. Take breaks from the news and limit social media. Helpful sources include the Centers for Disease Control, and World Health Organization.
- Relax your body: You can achieve this by doing things that work for you such as —taking deep breaths, stretching, meditation, praying, or engage in activities you enjoy.
- Reward yourself: Pace yourself between stressful activities, and do something fun after a hard task.
- Express your emotions: Take the time to talk about your experiences and feelings with loved ones and friends. Avoid keeping emotions bottled up.
- Sit down and journal: Maintain a sense of hope and positive thinking; consider keeping a journal where you write down things you are grateful for or that are going well.