Anxiety is an emotional response to a perceived future threat, which is why it can be heightened during these times.
Sometimes anxiety does become excessive and uncontrollable, but there are various ways to manage such problems and that’s exactly what we’ll be talking about in this blog post. The first thing that you need to remember is that anxiety in itself is not dangerous and it’s not wrong. Especially during these uncertain times when anxiety makes a lot of sense.
Today we’ll be sharing 5 ways to manage stress & anxiety during COVID-19.
1. Accept the Uncertainty
It's an uncertain time, however, uncertainty is not always dangerous. Think about how many things you accept when it comes to uncertainty during the day.
We also often do things to try to gain more certainty. We worry, for example, in an effort to figure out all the possible ways things could go wrong so we can be more certain of the outcome. But we all know it doesn’t truly work. We still feel anxious because there is no way of knowing exactly how things are going to turn out. There are no guarantees.
Almost everything in life is uncertain because no one can predict the future.
Accepting and understanding that not everything needs to be 100% under your control in your life can be a true source of inner peace.
2. Control Your Information Flow
We live in a world where there’s too much information. Non-stop access and updates from news channels can sometimes be very overwhelming.
Consider doing this… Watch the news or scroll through social media and at the end of the day, look back and ask yourself what came up in those news headlines that really changed your action or your behaviour?
Now, ask yourself how much of that was truly necessary?
Focus on what information you’re consuming, and how much you’re consuming. Most of it isn’t even that necessary or relevant to your life. Being informed about current events is great, but information overload isn’t.
Reduce the time that you and your family spend watching or listening to media coverage that you perceive as upsetting.
This is the #1 way to limit worry and anxiety.
3. Connect with Others
During these times of uncertainty, fear, and social distancing… It’s essential to connect with other people.
Being in isolation and all the unwarranted fear can lead to stress and depression. Reach out to family, friends, and colleagues regularly through phone calls, messages, or emails. Check on those who are living by themselves and the elderly members of your family. It also helps to rationalize your fears and be informed on how they are doing.
You may not be able to socialize in person for a while, but many older adults are turning to video chat options such as FaceTime visits on their smartphones, Skype calls, and Zoom calls. These virtual visits are the next best thing to spending time in person with friends and family.
4. Get Creative
Have you always wanted to try your hand at baking?
This is the time to see that wish come to life.
Pick up a hobby or something that you always wanted to try out like painting, gardening, cooking, playing an instrument, putting pen to paper, capturing videos, scrapbooking, keeping a journal or blogging, etc.
It could be absolutely anything that allows you to express yourself and helps to cope with your feelings.
Find a hobby that works best for you and stick to it. This keeps the stress away and gives you something to look forward to every day.
5. Practice Self-care
Eating a balanced diet, getting plenty of sleep, and engaging in leisure activities are always key to helping you stay as physically and psychologically healthy as possible during stressful times.
Good self-care also keeps your immune system robust and keeps your body in shape.
To develop a habit, you need to disrupt your current environment. And since our usual environments are already disrupted, this is possibly the best time to be building new habits & going through a transformation.
Building new habits will improve your productivity, and make you happier and more fulfilled.
Try using the 21-day rule to build habits. There are a bunch of apps & websites that will help you do this. Some of them are mentioned below:
If none of these methods work out for you, you can always seek online help.
Remember... Focus on the things that you can control.
Stay Safe!