Ways to cope with heightened anxiety during the Coronavirus
 

From being unable to find items you need, to being worried about friends and family, the Cornavirus is currently a major source of stress around the world. Looking after yourself and those you care about during this time is especially important. Here are some ways to ease stress during this time.

Limit your exposure to the news and social media. It can be helpful to know what's going on worldwide, or locally, but it is also very overwhelming. Consider giving yourself a scheduled time frame to look at updates, and then do something else. If you still feel the need to look at the news or social media, look into positive stories coming from this - people shopping for the elderly, businesses helping employees, or anything of the sort.

Consider helping others if you are in a position to do so. Do you have any friends or family members that might need something? Maybe you can take an essential trip to the store and pick up some things for them and for yourself. Donate or purchase a gift card from a local business. Helping others benefits you and the people around you. If you are unable to help others, do your part in combatting the spread: wash your hands frequently, don't touch your face, and stay away from others if they're sick (or if you're sick). Following these precautions can help with anxiety and your mental health, as you're doing your part to slow the spread.

Keep in contact with friends, family, or other important people during this time. Even though you likely cannot meet someone or see them in person, use other avenues. Talk on the phone or a video platform. You can even distract yourself and go a bit old school by writing letters!

Maintain a routine. Keeping somewhat of a routine is a good thing for the mind. With schools and businesses closed, it can be easy to slip out of your old routine, but keeping up with one will give you back some control.

Exercise if you can. If you have an outside (and isolated) area around your home, walk around and get some fresh air. You can also exercise around your house, especially with exercise or yoga videos. Doing this will release endorphins, the "feel-good" chemicals from your brain.

Remember what you have. This pandemic makes it easy to look at what's going wrong and what you don't have. Take a moment each day to acknowledge something good. Maybe a pet made you laugh, or you saw a positive story online. Write it down! This might even be something you can continue doing after the pandemic begins winding down.

Take control of what you can. There is a lot of unknown and many things outside of your control, but you can focus on how you cope in the face of this pandemic. Keep yourself distracted by working around the house, practice more self-care, or use positive self-talk and affirmations to remind yourself that you'll get through this.

Remember, you're not alone. Millions of people around the world are in a similar situation. Unfortunately, this has brought out the worst in some. Let this bring out the best in you.