Coronavirus: How to Handle Anxiety

On one hand, we can’t simply ignore the present alarming situation and keep going like nothing is happening. On the other hand, we for sure shouldn’t fall into the other extreme and succumb to stress and anxiety. Personally, I liked to think that the Corona madness did not stress me out as much as the people around me. But I later had to admit to myself that I do have trouble falling asleep lately. My mind is busy analyzing the daily situation with its possible consequences and developing plans “B”, “C” and even “D” of what action to take in the weeks to come depending on how the situation develops.

Inevitably, the recent events trigger anxiety in all of us, no matter how emotionally and psychically stable we (think we) are. We are outside of our comfort zones, mentally strained, unsure and wary of things to come. Therefore, it is of the highest importance for us to brace ourselves with patience, discipline, and kindness.

The current situation triggers anxiety and we should try to fight it with simple daily actions

A few days ago, I by chance discovered a publication from a Portuguese psychologic offering recommendation on handling anxiety. Although these tips might look quite simple and easy to follow, we should not dismiss them all too quickly. We will do well to keep in mind that every individual reacts differently – what seems trivial to one can be a big challenge for another.

For this reason, I decided to share the tips with you in the hope that they might help you or someone you know feel better.

How does anxiety emerge in these situations?

The author starts giving a little explanation of what anxiety is and how it emerges in these situations.

“The situation we are all going through requires measures that must be complied and respected for the common good. These measures (not ideal, but necessary), as well as information that circulates in real-time, evoke feelings such as fear, uncertainty, guilt, alarmism, and exaggeration. As a response to these feelings, comes up the anxiety.

She continues to list four daily recommendations that could help us to maintain mental health during this challenging period:

  1. Maintain good sleep hygiene – good rest promotes greater awareness and better reasoning;
  2. Maintain your routine – even when working from home now, try and maintain as many of your old everyday habits as you can, they are crucial for one’s well-being;
  3. Maintain contact with significant people like your family or friends – in this way, quarantine doesn’t become a prison and it will enable you to to share your feelings with your loved ones;
  4. Avoid exaggerated exposure to information – you should indeed keep yourself properly informed, but try to be selective at the time of choosing the information.

I hope this article proves useful to you! It didn’t cover one important point, though. How to fight boredom while in quarantine!? Rather than complaining about the quarantine, take advantage of the extra time on your hands and check out this list of movies to watch during the quarantine to make your time pass pleasantly.

Take care and stay at home!

 

Image Source: Pixabay

Joao Almeida

Hello readers, welcome! I'm João. I'm from Portugal, and I'm an Erasmus intern in Prague. It's my first experience abroad, so here I will try to share some of my experiences. I hope you enjoy my articles. See you!

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