Managing Coronavirus Anxiety
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.
As an anxiety treatment professional, I work with clients on ways to help manage anxiety and worry about uncertainty in general and these techniques can be applied to a situation such as this virus. I wanted to take a moment today to share some quick tips to help manage Coronavirus anxiety and also to share some reliable sources for information about the virus.
Tips to Help Manage Coronavirus Anxiety
Make decisions about how to proceed one at a time, based on the best information you have at the time, not based only on feelings.
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.
Getting Help with Managing Anxiety
If you have an anxiety diagnosis and your symptoms are increasing because of thoughts about the virus, work with your treatment professionals to help you work out a plan to manage the anxiety. In situations like this, it can be difficult to discern what is a reasonable amount of worry and planning and what is excessive and leading to increased anxiety. Working with an anxiety professional can help you sort this out. If you don’t already have a therapist but are experiencing so much anxiety about this that it is interfering with your daily life, talking with and anxiety professional can help.
The ADAA Website is a good place to start a search for an anxiety professional in your area.
Psychology Today is another option to search for a professional by zipcode.
For reliable information about the current facts:
Coronavirus Disease Updates - CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Steps to Prevent Illness - CDC
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Technical Guidance - WHO (World Health Organization)
Coping with Stress During 2019-nCOV Outbreak, WHO PDF flyer
Helping Children Cope with Stress During 2019-nCOV Outbreak, WHO PDF Flyer
Mental Health and Coping - CDC website