Hello friends,
I’ve been really focusing on my mindset during the Carona Virus outbreak and I thought I would share some of these tips with me.
If you’re feeling anxious it’s OK.
This is something new and there are a lot of unknowns that can feed our anxiety.
However, there are ways you can work on combating your Coronavirus anxiety.
Remember, you get to decide how you see things, what you think about situations and how you feel.
You’re not a hostage to your emotions.
You’re the boss.
I’m not saying that to be a jerk. I understand that anxiety can be hard to deal with.
However, I want to empower you that you can shift your mindset and feelings if you need to.
Feel like you need a little pep talk? I recorded a special episode of the Radical Transformation Podcast you can check out below.
Stay In The Moment
Honestly, we never know what kind of hardships or obstacles are waiting for us in the future.
Yes, the future can be scary but the truth is it is completely unknown.
No matter how many times you read the news updates you are still not going to know the future.
One of the best ways I’ve found to combat my anxiety during this time is to ground myself in the present moment
Take a deep breath.
Focus on how the floor feels under your feet.
Notice how it feels when your lungs fill with air.
Ground yourself into the present moment.
At this very second, everything is OK and you have peace available to you so take advantage of it.
I have a whole post of grounding exercises for anxiety you can find here if you need a little help bringing yourself back into the present moment and moving past your Coronavirus anxiety.
Prepare
Knowing you’re prepared can help ease your anxiety and when you start to spiral out in worry you can remind yourself that you have already done everything that you need to do.
Follow the Center for Disease Control and watch for any updates in your local area.
In addition, you can take steps to boost your immune system.
I’ve been drinking lots of fresh green juice, drinking Apple Cider Vinegar and taking all my supplements.
Check out this article for more easy ways to boost your immune system.
Instead of worrying about things you can’t control shift your focus to becoming really healthy and building your immune system as much as possible.
In this article, I want to focus on things you can do for your mindset but I think you should be preparing your body and your mindset.
Plus knowing that you’re prepared can help you keep your worried thoughts in check.
When you start to feel anxious take a few seconds and remind yourself that you’ve already done everything that you need to do.
Focus Only on Facts
A lot of times anxiety comes from all the “what if”scenarios and stories we start telling ourselves in our head.
When you start to think a thought that causes you to feel anxious or upset ask yourself if that is 10000% true and if it is an indisputable fact.
Yes, I know sometimes the facts can be scary but often the feelings of anxiousness you are having aren’t from the facts it’s from the stories you tell yourself or from playing out the worst-case scenarios.
Try to think of an empowering narrative you can tell yourself that is based on facts and not emotional reactions and fear.
I’ve seen a lot of speculation about the future and what COULD happen however it’s important to remember those are just theories and none of them are actual FACTS.
On top of that make sure you don’t take any information you see on social media as fact.
Get your information only from reliable sources like the CDC and don’t share anything on social media that you haven’t personally researched and verified.
The last thing we want to do is spread misinformation about the virus on social media.
Interrupt Thought Spirals
When you notice yourself thinking about “what if” situations or what-if scenarios break the thought patterns.
Think about a happy memory, do a puzzle or have a dance party.
Instead of allowing yourself to continue to spiral out of control boldly interrupt your thoughts and focus on something else.
Part of the amazing part of being a human is that we’re aware of our thoughts.
That means when you’re thinking thoughts that aren’t helpful you can choose a different thought.
Worrying about the worst-case scenario of the coronavirus isn’t helpful and stress will actually weaken your immune system.
The best thing you can do is choose to focus on something else when you notice that your thoughts are starting to spiral out of control.
Detox From The News
You only need to follow the news enough to allow yourself to be prepared and informed about what is happening in your area.
It’s OK to take a break if it is bad for your mental health.
If you have a friend and family that you can trust you can ask them to give you the important updates that you need so you don’ thave to follow the headlines.
The news can be great but they also sensationalize things and focus on the worst impacts of the virus.
Even though everything in your immediate reality is fine when you watch the news you can start to feel stressed and worried even though you are physically and emotionally find in the moment.
I’ve personally been getting my updates in the morning and making an effort not to consume any more news about it for the rest of the day.
At the time of writing this article, there’s not a lot of hourly updates so I believe checking the news once or twice a day is enough.
It’s really easy to consume articles and news coverage for hours on end but I find that doing this is horrible for my anxiety and mental health.
If you find that the news gives you anxiety figure out a way that you can minimize your media consumption while still being informed.
Use Affirmations
I know it might not seem like much with everything going on but these have really been helping me and I wanted to share them in case it helps some of you too.
Want a printable list of my favorite affirmations for anxiety? Fill out the form below.
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I am safe at this moment in time
My body is strong and resilient
It is safe for me to trust my judgment and intuition
I am in control of my thoughts and feelings
Overcoming challenges in life helps me evolve and become stronger
I choose to be present and happy in this moment
Worry doesn’t serve me and I choose to leave it behind
Stressful times brings our communities closer together
I have everything I need at this moment
My body is strong and capable
I choose to let go of things I can’t control
I am safe and comfortable in this moment
In the present, there is nothing for me to fear
I am an example of positivity to others
I am able to see the best in challenging situations
I choose to focus on love in stressful times
I deserve to feel at peace in this moment
I am so blessed to live this life
Practice Gratitude
The truth is things could always be a lot worse.
I know that sounds negative but I think sometimes it’s important to put things into perspective.
When your brain starts to freak out you can choose to focus on what you’re thankful for in this moment.
What do you love about your life?
What is actually really great about life right now?
Give yourself a break from worrying about things you can’t control by anchoring yourself into gratitude.
Whenever you notice yourself starting to go down the rabbit hole of worry and anxiety interrupt your thoughts by writing a list of 100 things you’re thankful for.
It’s so easy to start focusing on how hard everything is right now but remember to stop and be thankful that we have so many resources available to us.
We have running water, stores that sell soap and hospitals that are stocked with supplies and clean.
These are all amazing blessings and focusing on how many resources we actually do have available to us can help your Coronavirus anxiety when you start to worry or feel overwhelmed.
Set the Example
There are lots of examples of people focusing on the negative and panicking right now.
The world desperately needs more people to be an example of how to navigate times of uncertainty with love and optimism.
The news is constantly focusing on the worst-case scenarios and that’s a really powerful force.
You can offer an amazing gift to people during this time just by staying grounded in gratitude and focusing on what you love about your life.
This doesn’t mean minimizing people’s experiences or being dismissive.
I just think there is an awful lot of fearful and negative energy going around.
Offering an alternative to that can be really helpful to people right now.
Talk to a Therapist
Honestly, getting a therapist has been one of the best things I ever did for my mental health.
Before I was going to therapy regularly I felt like my anxiety was just getting worse and worse.
It was a crushing feeling and I felt really out of control.
I know the coronavirus is causing a lot of economic implications for people which is very heartbreaking.
However, I also know there are many people who could afford to go to therapy and just don’t want to spend the money.
Having a therapist to talk to while your navigating times of uncertainty can be really helpful and a good therapist will be able to give you a specific plan to help you manage your Coronavirus anxiety.
I use BetterHelp and highly recommend them if you’re interested in trying online therapy at an affordable price.
I like that I am able to email my therapist in between appointments at no extra cost and that I can schedule video or phone conversations.
I know this is an uncertain time and that can be really difficult to cope with.
I hope this article at least gave you some ideas of things you can try to start feeling a little better.
Don’t forget to check out the podcast episode I recorded about it and have a look at the other posts I have about managing anxiety.
Keep your hands washed and your head high.
-Faith
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