Managing anxiety during the Corona pandemic

At the moment we are facing an awful lot of uncertainty in a rapidly changing situation that is out of our control. These things in unison are perhaps the greatest driver of anxiety around the Corona pandemic. Here are some suggestions which may help you manage your anxiety:

(1) Restrict your news intake and time on social media

There is a torrent of information being thrown out at the moment and this can lead to a sense of overwhelm as you try to process it all and work out what it means to you. By restricting your exposure to this, you can have more time to get a sense of it all and to reduce the risk of your own anxieties being fed by that of others.

(2) Take some time to identify the sources of your anxiety

When we worry, everything can become tangled up into one huge ball. When this happens, we can find ourselves stuck in the fight, flight, freeze response which disengages our ability to think clearly and drives us to respond quickly. By taking time to write down your various concerns, you can untangle that ball. This can give you the space think about your concerns differently and with perspective. It also allows you to distinguish between those you can do something about and those which are out of your control. This can allow you to bring about some certainty, rather than feeling stuck in an overall feeling of uncertainty.

(3) Try to be kind to yourself

Feeling fear and anxiety is an inescapable part of being human. It is a perfectly natural response to feeling under threat. So, try not to be hard on yourself if you are struggling to hold back your fear. It is important to acknowledge and try to accept that it is there as this can give you more control over it.

(4) Connect with others

Social distancing and self-isolation do not mean we have to be isolated. Stay in touch with friends, family and your community through any means possible. Different people need connection to different extents, but in times of struggle is much harder to weather things alone.

(5) Seek help when needed

If it is all becoming too much for you then seek help. With the current restrictions, most therapists are continuing to work but moving their practices online. I am also offering reduced rates to new clients during this period. Contact me now to find out more.