Let’s face it. The coronavirus pandemic has turned our lives upside down. It can be hard to comprehend how something we can’t see, can be so frightening. With the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, there are so many unknowns. When will we stop social distancing? When will my child go back to school? When will I go back to work? Will I get sick? Will my loved one get sick? With all of these unknowns, it is very normal to feel anxious and/or worried about the present and the future.

Here are five actions you can take that may help reduce those feelings of anxiety or worry:

1. VALIDATE YOUR FEELINGS. By validating your feelings, you are telling yourself  “Okay self, I’m worried right now. It’s normal and to be expected that I feel this way right now. ” It ends up being counterproductive to worry about the worry, or to judge yourself for not having total control. Therefore, embracing your feelings will be beneficial in the short and long term.
2. MINIMIZE YOUR EXPOSURE TO THE NEWS. The news can be fear-inducing and increase anxiety. If you must watch the news every day, try to set aside one or two times (maximum) a day to get caught up. Your time will be better spent right now reading an enjoyable book, playing games with your children, or cleaning out your closet (to name a few).
3. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER RIGHT NOW. Right now there are many unknowns that pertain to the future. We have no control over that. What we have control over is the actions that we take today. So, think about planning your day, in a structured way. The more structured your day, the more productive you will feel. Having structure and feeling productive give us a sense of control, which reduces anxiety.
4. GET ADEQUATE SLEEP. Maybe your normal routine is thrown off right now, but your sleep schedule doesn’t have to be. If you’re used to sleeping from 11 pm to 7 am, the best thing you can do is maintain that same sleep schedule. A reduction of sleep or irregular sleep tends to increase anxiety. Consider sleep your most important appointment of the day.
5. TALK TO A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. If you find it difficult to manage your anxiety, consider talking to a therapist (I’m here). We are here to help you with your feelings and we do not judge. We are trained to help individuals in crisis. We will help you understand your feelings and give you tools to cope better during this pandemic.