Coronavirus Anxiety?

A lot of us understandably feel anxious about what’s doing with Coronavirus. Fear about getting sick. Panic about not having enough food and supplies. Concern about work or school. And just plain uncertainty about how it’s going to play out in the coming weeks and months.

All of these thoughts lead to anxiety. And what to do about managing this mental monster? While I’m not a scientist or epidemiologist, I do know how to help people relieve anxiety. If we’re going to get through this in good shape, we need to find ways to be centered and focused. And that means not adding more anxiety to an overflowing pile of worries, what-if’s and maybe’s.

Here are some tips on how to manage your anxiety during this stressful and uncertain time:

• Be okay with your fears and worries. Sure, this is a scary time. Trying to deny this won’t do you any good. And beating yourself up for feeling afraid is a losing proposition. Self-compassion is the key. Use it daily.
• Worry? Or problem-solving? First, decide if this is something you can control or not. If it is, make a plan and set it in motion. If not, stop and ask yourself: Are my thoughts helpful? Am I moving forward? You’ll know what to do from there.
•  Be careful with your media consumption. Binge-watching coverage on Coronavirus? Check and see how you’re feeling. If you’re ramping up on anxiety, time to change the channel. Perhaps cartoons with the grandkids? Cooking shows? Ice Road Truckers is one of my favorites.
• Connect with good friends. Isolating is typical when anxiety strikes. But even 15 minutes of good conversation with someone you love and enjoy can do wonders to dispel that pesky emotion. Set up FaceTime with relatives, especially the elderly.
• Get going and move. One of the best antidotes for anxiety is physical movement. Do yoga. Take the dog for a walk. Dance around the room. (I did this with the Duff yesterday. He wasn’t really sure about the whole thing, but soon got in the swing of things!) Push-ups? Stretching? Lunges? Knee bends? Whatever suits your fancy will help.
• If you feel helpless, do something helpful. Okay, so you’re in a situation you have absolutely no control over. And you feel helpless. Brainstorm what you could do for others. Have an elderly friend? Give them a call or FaceTime them. Your favorite restaurant is having a hard time with cash flow right now. Buy a gift card, and use it later or gift a friend. Check with your neighbors. Perhaps they can’t get out and you could drop off groceries.
• Sleep is good. The best remedy for anxiety is slumber. From physical activity to monitoring feelings to logical thinking, it’s hard to be on top of your game if you don’t sleep well. Keep your regular schedule, for change, in itself, is disruptive. Set your alarm, and when it goes off, you are up and at “˜em. No sleeping in! Snoozing in late increases feelings of fear and anxiety.  
• Time to stretch your mind in different ways. What about that old hobby? Want to learn a new one? Time to dust off the keyboard, flex the fingers and strike a chord. Or pull out the jigsaw puzzle. It’s easy to get paralyzed by fear and anxiety. Choose instead to fill your mind with positive tasks and constructive activities. You’ll be glad you did.
• This, too, will pass. This challenging time won’t last forever. If you use these tips, you will have strengthened your mental muscles, developed new strategies, and established new options. Good for you! That’s living unstuck.

Anxiety out of control? Unstuck Living can help you get back on track in 1-3 sessions 90% of the time. Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) is not therapy. It is an easy and tested way to help people end old patterns and get unstuck. Learn to use your mind more effectively to make good choices.

For more information or to make an appointment, contact Joan Courtney at (928) 367-8208. Bringing over 35 years of experience, Joan is a highly qualified Neurolinguistic Programming practitioner and clinical hypnotherapist. In a confidential way, she uses that knowledge to help her clients quickly become no-limit-people.