COVID-19 LockDown Guide: Dealing With Your Anxiety the Right Way
Last Update on August 14, 2020 : Published on March 24, 2020
With pandemic Coronavirus related information spreading all over, the anxiety is likely to swipe in. But, instead of letting our anxious thoughts and emotions take the steering wheel of our life and head in the wrong direction let us stop, pause and work with our anxiety the right way.
Our last week Wednesday webinar covered some wide range of tips and tricks that can help you deal with your anxiety, especially during quarantine and novel Coronavirus. For those who missed it or those who are struggling to deal with their anxiety here are some ways that will rescue you from the same.
First, understand “It is Okay to feel anxious!”
We are humans and we are blessed to feel emotions, anxiety being one of them. Remember you are not alone in this just take a deep breathing and move further. This actually helps as ‘when we normalize anxiety there is some comfort that comes with knowing that others feel that way, too. (Vox).’
Next, Acknowledge your Anxiety!
If you are in a state of denial and are unaware of what’s going within you dealing with it can be challenging. Therefore, to begin with, let us acknowledge our anxiety and be aware of our signs.
Here are some of the key symptoms that are accompanied with anxiety, if you face all or few of them then accept it and start working on them NOW:
Cognitive signs of anxiety: lack of concentration, racing thoughts
Behavioral signs of anxiety: Irritability, restlessness
Emotional signs of anxiety: fear, apprehension
It is important to recognize your anxiety as it will put you back in control of your life instead of letting the bubbles of worry control you.
Finally, time to Show Your Anxiety Who’s the Boss!!!
Here are some techniques to show your anxiety who’s the boss. Learning and practicing them will help you keep calm and center yourself.
Deep Breathing
First thing first! Cool your mind down, remove those clouds of worries, have a clear mind set. The best way to achieve these goals is- deep breathing. You may find various deep breathing exercises but the one that is scientifically proven to calm your nerves down is: 4-7-8!
Follow these steps:
Breathe in for 4 seconds
Hold your breath for 7 seconds
Exhale for another 8 seconds, with your mouth open
Now repeat it for 4-5 times, thrice a day. It will help you feel in control and clearing mind space for innovative and healthy ideas.
Rainbow Breathing
Although deep breathing works effectively for all age groups, kids might look for something interesting instead. For them Rainbow Breathing can work wonders. You can refer to the image given below and make your kid practice the same.
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With schools being shut down and no meeting up with friends kids too are likely to experience anxiety. They might not be able to convey it but as a caregiver you should look for the signs and provide the best of the help that you can. Rainbow breathing can help you with the same as not only will it calm them down but also colors will definitely bring happiness.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
One thing that anxiety does to us is- it takes us away from reality and our current situation. To help you reorient. As Hanson says and research supports- “Action binds anxiety; if you take appropriate action and you know what you are doing, it’ll calm you down.” This technique will help you achieve this goal
All you have to do is:
Acknowledge 5 things you can see around you
Acknowledge 4 things you can touch around you
Acknowledge 3 things you can hear around you
Acknowledge 2 things you can smell around you
Acknowledge 1 thing you can taste around you
Find a detailed article on the same here: The 5-4-3-2-1 Mindfulness Tool to Deal With Your Anxiety| Learn it NOW
This technique makes use of all your five senses and gives us the idea that we are in control of our reality.
Tune into Music
Music is a therapy! Known to all! But, we often forget to tune into it when facing overwhelming emotions like anxiety. So, let us plug in our earphones and let the therapy of music work.
You can definitely choose any song of your choice but, we would recommend you to listen to Marconi Union’s Weightless song.
Thinking why?
Well, it can reduce your anxiety by 65% (scientifically proven by Mindlab International).
For more such techniques, click here.
Additional Tips to Deal with ANXIETY
Apart from incorporating the above-mentioned activities in your life you can also consider the following tips to combat you anxiety during this pandemic situation:
Eat Anti-anxiety Food. Yes, some food items can actually bring anxiety so make sure your plate of food has at least one hero element to reduce your anxiety, like- eggs, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, etc.
Read Self-Help Books. If the emotions are unbearable then reading a book can definitely help you. There are various self-help books that can help you here such as- Feeling Good, Antidote, to name a few.
Use Technology: There are certain apps that can help you deal with anxiety, so why not use our best-friend technology to deal with this pandemic anxiety? Headspace, anxiety reliever are some of the many apps that can help you here.
Read Motivational Quotes: With social media loaded with information and rumors spreading around the coronavirus outbreak, taking an escape from it was required. Not only limiting the information you consume is important here but adding a spoonful of positivity to your daily information intake can help you the long way. So, do read at least one motivational and positive quote daily.
With these tips and tricks to deal with anxiety you can make your brain a sacred place to build new ideas and handle the situations around you in a strong manner.
Do let us know in the comment section below which tip worked best for you.
Good luck and stay safe.
You May Like These Also:
Best Self Help Books for Depression and Anxiety
51 Depression And Anxiety Quotes To Cherish Your Mood
About The Author
Anjali Singh
Anjali Singh is a content curator in the field of Mental Health. She is currently done Ph.D. in Psychology. Her aim is to light up the world with positive vibes through her words, her idea of life is ‘Grow through what you go through’. Apart from this, she is a big-time pet lover.
Best Guide to deal with anxiety during Covid-19 must read article.