Are you worried about what might happen to your finances, your loved ones, or your own health, and the future… you are not alone.
Most of us will be okay. Among those who do contract Covid-19, most people’s chances of surviving the disease is high.
Nevertheless, given the situation we face, you might find yourself very much on edge. We are all feeling a sense of loss. But by focusing on the resources you do have and the things you can do, you can begin to manage that anxiety.
Savii Health has asked Dr. Davana Pilczuk to offer some advice on how to reduce coronavirus anxiety:
Concern about WHAT IF
Most fear is about right now. Anxiety, however, is always about things that haven’t happened yet.
Anxiety usually starts with the words “what if.” What if I lose my job? What if my spouse brings the virus home? What if I never see a certain family member again? Learn to recognize when you are over-focused on these “what if” questions.
A Perceived Threat
Notice the word “perceived” here. Not all things we perceive to be scary or threatening actually are. Public speaking is most people’s biggest fear, yet there really is nothing truly harmful or dangerous about talking in front of people. Our brains just overly focus on the ‘what ifs’ and we end up perceiving public speaking as being something terrifying. So pay attention to when you are perceiving a threat to be worse than it really is.
Underestimating Ourselves
Along with over-perceiving the threat, we also underestimate our ability to handle the threat. We all have resources -knowledge, experience, skills – to help us handle difficult situations in life, but we forget about them when we feel anxious.
Two Key Questions to help manage coronavirus anxiety:
When you find yourself feeling anxious, ask yourself these two important questions:
- Is this a real threat and
- Do I have the ability to handle it?
The fact is, most perceived threats aren’t as bad as our minds make them out to be, and we tend to underestimate our abilities to handle the tough stuff in life. Every time you begin to feel stressed about something, big or little, ask yourself these two questions and walk yourself down from feeling anxious.
See also: Dealing with Loneliness during #StayHome
Dr. Davana Pilczuk, Owner & Principal, The Human Performance Group LLC
