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Being a human being means that you will face some chaos and crisis in this world.
Wondering how to deal with all of this?
Discover 8 tips that can really help you cope with this hard time…
I got your back! 🙂
Are you anxious and distressed? Worry not, it is okay too!
You see, at one time or the other, we are going to be confronted with anxious and tense moments in our lives.
Anxiety is a normal response to any threat in our lives! More important to note is that we are likely to experience excitement and stress if the danger at hand is unpredictable and uncertain.
You need to understand that emotions like anxiety and stress are vital aspects when dealing with new threats like the novel Coronavirus.
I understand how it feels to counter an utterly new threat that you have no idea about. It is an even scarier if-then threat doesn’t appear like it will be going away soon! In the wake of the COVID-19, the WHO organization has gone ahead to declare it a world pandemic. Every nation is taking measures, some drastic, to contain the virus that is threatening to destabilize the world economy.
Now, more than ever, anxiety and distress pose a significant threat to human existence than even the virus itself. It is the features of the Covid-19 and the unwarranted circulation of the effects of this virus on social media that threaten to raise the levels of anxiety and stress among people.
I feel your pain!
I feel your pain and distress!
I was as anxious as you are at first. We all want the best for ourselves and our loved ones. So, it is fair to feel overwhelmed with the current events…
When you log in to any social media platform, the only information you get is the one concerning the virus. We call that availability bias- we give more weight to events that currently affect us.
Unknown to you, and many of us, we tend to believe things that we hear repeatedly. We believe in such stories or happenings, whether they are true or not. Further, we are accustomed to thinking and remember things that elicit stronger emotions!
I totally hear you! You’re not alone! 🙂
10 tips to help you calm your nerves
Participating in meaningful activities is a significant contributor to our positive mental health.
Anxiety, when not well managed, can cause the opposite reaction. It is the unprecedented levels of stress that makes us deny the reality of the current situation.
You know that denial doesn’t help in any way. Does it?
When we begin to deny the severity of any situation, like the current Covid-19 crisis, we end up even ignoring recommendations from experts on how to deal with the situation at hand…
Most of the time, people refuse to believe the situation is dangerous because they want to avoid being anxious. It doesn’t help in any way, unfortunately… 🙁
Now, below are proven tips to counter any form of anxiety.
Keep scrolling!
1. Limit the amount of time you spend on social media…
First, let us all agree that it is imperative to stay updated. Nothing is as powerful as information.
However, there are limitations to this.
Social media is awash with all manner of information. It is okay to check for updates continually, but then, you will end up consuming sensationalized news that could destabilize your mental health.
So, what should you do?
It is wise and healthy to stick to only trusted and verified news sources. I should also stress that you should take time off social media if the stories there increase your level of anxiety…
I like to check the news in the morning and at night. I find that this is a good balance!
2. Accept your thoughts and emotions you may have!
Since your emotions come from the thoughts that you’re having, I want you in the first place to totally accept both of them.
When you feel anxious, distressed or worried, the first thing to do is really to welcome anything that is going inside of you.
As I always say, there is a positive intention from all of this happening!
It’s the only way you can understand how are things going on inside of you! 🙂
So, take the time to do it properly.
Become the watcher of what’s going on inside of you: What are you thinking? Why? How do those thoughts make you feel?
No matter what you’re going to find, do it with compassion and curiosity.
What would you tell a friend?
I love to ask myself this question! We can be so hard with ourselves!
If someone was sharing with you the thoughts they had and the way they felt, what would you tell them? How would you behave?
3. Focus on what you can control!
Ask yourself what you can do at your own level?
I totally understand that you would like to help millions, to make decisions for the politicians but when you think about it…
What can you control?
I would start by thinking of my own health, physical and mental health.
Those are the two things that you can have full control of! And it’s already a great start!
4. Focus more on YOURSELF, practice self-care!
There are many self-management strategies you could employ to check on your anxiety level.
Some of the widely practiced strategies include:
- Being mindful of yourself
- Yoga Meditation
- Workout
- A morning run or jogging
- Random daily exercises
- Many more!
While the above techniques might not wholly put your anxiety at bay, but at least they will manage any anxious thoughts.
Take, for example, Yoga meditation. It helps you forget about every aspect of your life, and instead focus on keeping your body physically and mentally fit.
Further, you can take online courses on how to manage low mood, stress, and anxiety. Most of these online courses are available for free and need no referral!
If you’re interested in self-care, you have to check my 30-Day Self-Care Challenge Ideas!
5. Keep a close connection with family and friends!
Unless you have been advised to self-quarantine, you should ensure you keep as close contact as possible with your family.
Our moods, generally, are affected by the people around us. You might need people to cheer you up when you are feeling low. If you must work from home, ensure there are people around you can talk to.
If you can’t physically reach your loved ones or someone you care about, video call them instead. Alternatively, you can text or call them. Just to know how they are doing.
Today, we can keep in touch with others so do it as much as you need to! 🙂
6. Make it a habit of helping others whenever you can!
Sometimes, the only way to beat boredom is by finding a meaningful activity to engage in. You see, most of the time, we become anxious when we do not know what to do and when to do it.
We start having so many thoughts and we may feel like we cannot even control them!
Take, for example, the recent pandemic, COVID-19, which has brought almost everything to a halt. As a result, all the people who are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 have been put under isolation.
It can be devastating to see your friends or neighbors in a situation they can do very little about. Their situation can have even more devastating effects on you if you can’t find a way to get closer to them.
So, do this.
Ask their friends and family members if they need anything. It could be grocery, household items, or fruits. Keep a continuous follow up on them by calling, texting, and doing video calls!
I also heard of old people needing someone to walk their dog. This can be a great way to go outside and to get some fresh air!
Think about all the things you can do to help others.
This is also a great moment to develop more solidarity with each other! I find it fascinating to discover how things are getting organized in a time like this…
7. Meditate
Everybody deserves some peace of mind. It is even more critical if you are faced with calamities such as the COVID-19. Take time off your normal activities and remind yourself that all the problematic period is for a while!
There are tons of free applications for you to start with!
If you are interested in building a real habit and to see benefits very quickly, I highly recommend you to check out Giovanni’s courses.
It’s simply AMAZING, he changed my life! 🙂
I took the Master Your Mind Beginners and it’s really the best way to start meditating and get quick results!
You will be well equipped not only for a moment of crisis in your life but for EVERY DAY of your life. Nice promise, right? 🙂
Also, during your own free time, think of all the positive things that have happened in your life. More importantly, remind yourself of some of the darkest moments you ever faced, but the light still shines at the end, anyway! 🙂
8. Do not buffer from the way you’re thinking and feeling
In a time of chaos and crisis, we might find ourselves overeating, overdrinking, etc.
We may tend to react like this because we prefer resisting the emotion that we might feel…
So, before buffering from a situation, take the time to sit and to understand the way you are thinking and feeling.
Understand its positive intention!
If you don’t take the time to deal with what’s going on inside of yourself, you’re going to continue “buffer” from it which means, resist to how you’re feeling…
Take the time for self-care and self-reflection…
I already talked about practicing self-care but I cannot stress this enough!
I want you to really take good care of yourself.
This is THE TIME you can use to reflect on your life and on who you are.
Ask yourself: How do you want your like to look like? Who do you want to become?
We sometimes take things for granted and I truly think that this could be the time for us to reflect and be grateful for what we have and are.
Take good care of yourself by checking my 30-Day Self-Care Challenge Ideas!
Here are anxiety quotes to calm your nerves when you feel distressed
Words can inspire and soothe a frazzled mind and calm an agitated soul.
Below are quotes to help you rise from your low moments.
Hang in there, you’re not alone!!!
“You can’t always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.”– Wayne Dyer
“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”– Olin Miller
“Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety; after all, it is only in the darkest nights that stars shine more brightly.”– Ali Ibn Abi Talib
“Anxiety was born at the very same moment as mankind. And since we will never be able to master it, we will have to learn to live with it—just as we have learned to live with storms.”– Paulo Coelho
“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” – Kahlil Gibran
“He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.”– Shannon L. Alder
“Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.”– William Shakespeare
“Hey, you keep living. It won’t always be this overwhelming.”– Jacqueline Whitney
“Sometimes, the most important thing in a whole day is the rest taken between two deep breaths.”– Etty Hillesum
“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.”– Winston Churchill
“Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”– Henry Ward Beecher
“Rule number one is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it’s all small stuff.”–Robert Eliot
“Worry a little bit every day, and in a lifetime, you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.”– Mary Hemingway
To sum up!
You can be anxious yet remain mentally healthy and fit!
As discussed above, it is normal to be distressed and troubled… You’re a human being! You’re not alone in this! 🙂
However, you should not allow the levels of anxiety to shoot high beyond your control.
Imagine being self-confident and anxious at the same time. That would be a better way to deal with any unexpected epidemic.
Do not resist anxiety. Understand its positive intention, be self-aware and have control of your thoughts!
I’m there for you! You’re not alone!!! This too shall pass…!
