It makes sense that you’re anxious. Clinical psychologist Regine Galanti, Ph.D, helps her clients recognize that their anxiety is a false alarm—“it’s not your house on fire, it’s a pizza burning in the toaster.” But because of Coronavirus, she said, your house is actually ablaze.
Emily Bilek, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and clinical assistant professor at University of Michigan, agreed that it makes sense that symptoms of anxiety may have flared up or worsened during the past year. People understandably have genuine fears about their jobs, health, homes, finances, and the pandemic’s short- and long-term impact on society.
Even though your anxiety might be peaking, there are many helpful steps you can take, including one of the best: schedule a teletherapy session with a therapist.
Here are other tips to try:
Set limits. Try to carve out specific times to check for updates about the pandemic, rather than keeping the TV on your favorite news network and scrolling social media all day long. This way you stay informed, while lowering the level of fear and anxiety you may feel. “[H]earing about all the danger increases our perception of the threat,” said Galanti, who has a private practice in Long Island, N.Y. Galanti also recommends setting limits when talking about the pandemic with friends and family. This will help limit your anxiety, but theirs as well.
Practice sustainable self-care. Prior to the pandemic, you might’ve relied on a slew of self-care practices: You went to a yoga studio you love, meditated on your commute, or took long weekend walks. Not having these habits when you need them most might lead you to "over-do it" at home. Instead, Bilek recommended picking realistic, attainable activities. Do a 10-minute yoga video on YouTube. Drink plenty of water. Take 5-minute deep breathing breaks from work. Take care of yourself in small ways.
Schedule daily worry sessions. “It’s normal to worry right now, but it doesn’t have to take over your day,” said Galanti. When a worry thought pops up, she suggests jotting it down and revisiting this list during a 15- to 20-minute worry session.
Curb caffeine. Bilek noted that we tend to use caffeine to cope with negative feelings, such as boredom and fatigue. However, “this can make us more vulnerable to physical feelings of anxiety, and thus panic attacks.” Plus, she said, caffeine can mimic the physiological symptoms of different health concerns. Instead of having three cups of coffee or soda throughout the day, slowly savor one small cup in the morning with your breakfast.
Spot patterns in your panic. If you’re prone to panic attacks, it’s easy to confuse some of those symptoms with certain symptoms of Coronavirus, Galanti said. It’s important to pay attention to what precipitates your symptoms. Galanti pointed out that panic symptoms typically come and go, while virus symptoms do not. So, if you’re having trouble breathing as you’re watching the news or thinking about the pandemic, it’s panic. “The best way to manage panic [attacks] is to embrace them. I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but the more you face panic, the more you’ll see that [panic attacks aren’t] as dangerous as you fear and that you can cope with them.”
Get good sleep. Bilek stresses the importance of maintaining a consistent sleep schedule—waking up and going to bed at the same time—even if your days are much more flexible now. Replace TV watching or social media scrolling with one soothing practice. Try a self-compassionate meditation, take a warm bath, read a book, or try nighttime yoga.
Get grounded. When Bilek’s clients are overwhelmed with worry or anxiety, she suggests they identify things in their environment that they normally don’t notice. This can include searching for a unique shade of green, counting the number of different sounds you hear, or looking for an interesting texture. “By focusing on our senses, we are necessarily brought into the present, even if just for a moment.”
Look to your values. “We can’t change our circumstances, but we can choose what kind of person we want to be and act in accordance with our values,” Galanti said. For example, instead of searching for toilet paper on Amazon again, you do a craft with your kids or watch your favorite movie (again). Instead of checking the news, you FaceTime with a loved one.
If you’re still struggling with increasing, worsening symptoms of anxiety, don’t hesitate to seek professional support. In fact, you can talk to a licensed therapist right now. You can get through this. And you will.
https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-cope-with-coronavirus-anxiety-when-you-already-have-an-anxiety-disorder#1