03/12/2020
All anxiety arises from an intolerance of uncertainty. Since so much about the effects of Coronavirus and what its impact in the future will be is unknown and uncertain, it is understandable that most people are experiencing some anxiety about it. In addition to anxiety in the general public, people with some types of anxiety disorders may be experiencing an increase in certain symptoms due to worry about Coronavirus.
I created a quick blog post today with some tips to help manage anxiety about Coronavirus as well as links to reliable resources. Please share if this information would be helpful for someone you know. http://intownatlantapsychotherapy.com/blog/2020/3/12/managing-coronavirus-anxiety
Here is a preview of some of the tips:
Some worry and anxiety can be useful to motivate us to act when necessary. But it is important to remember that worry is just the first stage in problem solving and planning. Once you have the information you need and a plan in place; continued worry or panic is counterproductive and doesn’t have any control or influence over the outcome.
Limit the time you are reading or watching the news. Set a plan for how and when you will get information. For example, checking a couple of reliable sources once or twice a day. Then work on sticking to the plan even if anxiety tries to convince you to check more.
Remember that there is a difference in being concerned and taking appropriate action and allowing these thoughts to intrude in your life all day, every day.
Limit social media exposure. Decide which reliable sources you will get information from rather than reading everything you happen to scroll by on social media. Take a social media break if needed.
Recognize possibility thinking vs probability thinking. The feeling of how risky something is, is not the same thing as the facts about how risky it is. Possibility thinking can create unnecessary anxiety and it is more helpful to refer to the facts.
Stay in the present as much as possible and work on staying out of imagined catastrophic futures. You can use mindfulness and grounding techniques to work on staying present as well as just continuing to engage in your daily routine.
Remember that as humans our minds have a negativity bias. Because of that, it is normal to automatically go to possible negative outcomes. It can be helpful to recognize that this happens automatically in the mind, so we can attribute some of the worry and anxiety to that tendency, and then sort out what actually needs our attention and redirect back to the facts and our plan.
Remember that we can’t control what worry comes into our minds, but we can control which thoughts to engage with. Engage with the thoughts that are based on the facts and help you create an appropriate plan of action.
Make sure to keep your focus on self-care basics that help reduce your vulnerability to anxiety, such as getting enough sleep, eating regularly, exercising, and moderation with caffeine and alcohol.
Check out the full post for resources to get help for anxiety and to get reliable information about Coronavirus.
