5 Ways to Relieve Corona-Virus Anxiety
With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, life has changed for all us around the globe in the last few months, with the uncertainty of when life will return back to normal. Throughout this trying time, a lot of us may be feeling slightly anxious, bored, frustrated, worried, and/or stressed, which is entirely normal. People are unique in that our reactions will differ in certain situations, let alone a global pandemic, but in the end, we know that these feelings will eventually pass.
If you are feeling worried or anxious about life at the moment due to the coronavirus outbreak, have a look at our 5 ways to relieve your coronavirus anxiety.
1. Talk about what you’re worried about
In this current situation, it is completely normal to feel slightly scared or helpless, and it is better to share any concerns or worries that you are feeling with people you trust and feel comfortable in sharing with- this doesn’t only help you but can help them as well. If you feel like you don’t have someone to talk to, there are many helplines you can contact instead. Talking through your worries and thoughts will help to ease any worries or pressure you might currently be feeling.
2. Support & Help Others
Listening to someone else’s concerns or helping them to understand their worries or behaviours during this time can benefit both yourself and them. To help people around you as well as yourself, you could start by looking for any community groups you could join to help people within your local community or help struggling family members or friends responsibly by getting groceries or hosting zoom events.
3. Do your best to feel prepared
It may seem hard staying at home and what accompanies that, but by working through these changes, it will help you feel less concerned and more prepared. Don’t dismiss the changes but think through how your normal weekly routine is affected and what you need to do to resolve any issues that may arise because of the drastic changes in your routine. Talk to your employer if you have any worries or concerns, look for local services that can help you or any community help groups that have been set up. Prepare as much as you can for this current disruption but know that this is a temporary disruption.
4. Make sure you stick to the facts
With so much information being published and released, it can be slightly overwhelming and confusing in what to believe, as well as what is true. The overload of information, including incorrect and hoax stories, this can add to any anxiety you may be feeling, so try to stick to the facts. You can do this by finding credible and trustworthy sources, do your research and fact-check any information you see on social media, or hear by word-of-mouth. Remember to keep in mind how inaccurate information may affect others as well, so try not to share any information that isn’t fact-checked. And if your anxiety levels are currently high, you may want to cut down your time on social media, watching or reading coverage of the coronavirus outbreak, and maybe even turn off news alerts or notifications.
5. Ensure you are getting enough sleep
Sleep affects all aspects of life, and a good-quality sleep will make a major difference when it comes to how we feel mentally as well as physically, so it is important to ensure that we are getting enough, at least between 7-9 hours a night. While getting the 7-9 hours, you also need to ensure you are keeping to a regular sleeping pattern, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Some other habits you should try to minimise to ensure you are getting enough sleep is to avoid screens before bedtime, cut back on caffeine and create a relaxed environment.