7 Ways to Manage Anxiety and Fear During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Feeling afraid or worried is normal, but it can be detrimental to physical and mental health. These seven strategies can tamp down negative emotions and promote positive ones.
Feelings of fear, anxiety, sadness, and confusion are at an all-time high. A recent Reuters/Ipso poll found that 68 percent of Americans consider the coronavirus pandemic an “imminent threat”—up 14 points from a previous survey conducted earlier last month.
In New York City, which has been hit especially hard by the virus, Governor Andrew Cuomo has established an emotional support helpline (844-863-9314) that provides free and confidential counseling for anyone experiencing increased anxiety because of the pandemic.
During a national crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, many people experience a range of emotions. The predominant one is often fear, which results in people getting upset easily, complaining frequently, and making others scared or angry. As people feel less fearful and more informed, they may want to help others and spread a message of hope.
As you seek to help others and stay hopeful, keep these seven Cs—calm, control, consistency, containment, connection, communication, and compassion—in mind:
- Project calm. If friends and loved ones are panicking, help them gain perspective on the situation. Instead of scaremongering or giving credence to false rumors, refer them to credible news sources. Being a positive, uplifting influence in these uncertain times can help you feel better too.
- Focus on what you can control. Organize a messy room, paint a fence, clean the garage, edit the photos on your phone, clean a rusty bike and take it for a ride, draw or color, or play a board game. Learn a new skill or start a new hobby from videos on YouTube or various apps and websites. Start a new project whether that’s researching your genealogy, gardening, photography, knitting, drawing, cooking, woodworking, video editing, ballroom dancing, or chess. Eat healthfully, exercise, avoid nicotine and alcohol, and try to get enough sleep.
- Be consistent. Create a routine that balances work and play and stick to it. Set rules and expectations about screen time, sleep and schoolwork. Ask each family member to help with chores and activities.
- Contain your anxiety. Those who consume the most COVID-19 news from social media, online, and traditional outlets tend to panic more or experience more anxiety. To counter that, limit your news consumption and discussion of the topic to once or twice a day and stick to trustworthy sources such as the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and your local public health authorities. And step away from media if you start feeling overwhelmed. If you feel better avoiding media entirely, ask someone you trust to pass along any major updates you need to know about. Schedule brief check-ins with your children twice daily and provide matter-of-fact, age-appropriate information.
- Stay connected. Maintaining connections with friends and family can be comforting and stabilizing. Sharing your concerns, feelings, and thoughts with others can help you deal with a stressful situation. Even a friendly, reassuring phone call is welcome. Local neighborhood online community groups such as NextDoor can put you in touch with elderly and other people who need support in your area.
- Communicate. If you experience symptoms like fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath, call your family doctor immediately. Establish a plan for who will care for your children or elderly relatives if you need to self-quarantine. Engage your family in all chores and other important routines so the household is prepared if the situation changes. Preparing for quarantine and communicating regularly with family and friends will help reduce stress.
- Cultivate compassion. Daily acts of kindness demonstrate compassion to others and yourself. Reach out to someone who’s alone or with whom you’ve lost touch. Help people in your community who are isolated—particularly the elderly or disabled—by delivering groceries or filling prescriptions and leaving them on the doorstep to avoid contact. Donate online or volunteer remotely. Coronavirus is not associated with any ethnic or racial group, so speak up if you hear any negative comments that promote fear and prejudice. With the right outlook and intentions, we all can ensure that kindness and charity spread throughout our communities faster than this virus.
Read More:
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and Neurologic Disease Resource Center
