Managing Anxiety during COVID-19
Understandably, many of us are facing anxiety during the COVID-19 panic. While it’s important to stay informed, the onslaught of negative information can be damaging for your mental health. Here are a few suggestions for managing anxiety during this trying time:
Stop & Breathe. Take a moment to pause the hectic world and focus on yourself. Take a moment to evaluate your physical state of being. Where are you holding tension and stress? Is your jaw clenched? Tongue pressed to the roof of your mouth? Shallow, fast breaths? Elevated heart rate? These are just a few of the many physical symptoms of anxiety. Take a second to check in with yourself and start to release your jaw, tongue, and shoulders. Take slow, controlled breaths to regulate your breathing and heart rate.
Challenge anxious thoughts with evidence. Often times we will create answers for stories that are missing information. This is an attempt to resolve anxiety, because we are generally anxious when we don’t know something. However, the answers that we create are typically coming from an anxious source and will only serve to tap into that anxiety in the end. So, do your best to find evidence-based answers where you can and find peace in the times you’re left waiting for a more concrete answer.
Measure what you have control over and make changes where you can. Anxiety often pops up when we don’t have control in a situation. However, you can work to identify what you can control vs what you can’t. Focus your attention and efforts to the things that you can actually change or control. For those things you can’t, do your best to release yourself from that anxiety connected to it. Maybe that looks like saying to yourself, “I don’t have any control to change the pandemic. However, I do have some control over washing my hands and keeping to myself. This not only works to protect myself, but also those that I love and/or those that may be vulnerable.”
Call or FaceTime a support that will listen to your concerns. Sometimes something as simple as expressing your fears, worries, and concerns to someone else can be enough to ease your anxiety.
Be mindful of your limits. During this time, it’s important to stay informed with accurate information. However, there can be a point in which we have too much information and it starts to weigh on our anxiety. Check in with yourself and be mindful of your limits. If you’re finding that spending extra time on social media is contributing to increased anxiety, cut back on that source of information. If you’re feeling burnt out and overwhelmed, allow yourself to disconnect for a moment in order to engage in self care. Watch for the recommendations from your local government, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization.
Fortunately, our state government and insurance carriers have made it easy to receive mental health services during this time, safely via telehealth. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with us (from the comfort of your home), please schedule here. We will happily help you or connect you with the right clinician for you.
Stay safe, and be well!
