And this can be anxiety-provoking to think about.
So how do we manage this coronavirus anxiety even as we move forward with our jobs and lives, tending to what we need to on a daily basis while living with the possibility that this flu could touch our lives.
I think we first take action where we can and then we use all the tools we have to manage our anxiety and help others around us manage their anxiety.
In terms of action, I’m an advocate for smart preparations and taking practical steps wherever when we can. Whether this is prepping for California wildfire season. Having an earthquake kit at home and at my daughter’s daycare. Or having all the necessary fire safety equipment at my boutique therapy center.
So how do we manage this anxiety?
Taking action when you can and when and where it’s appropriately advised and indicated is a smart thing to do.
To that end, I highly recommend that each of us do what we can to keep our immune systems healthy. And then read up on what the CDC is recommending Americans do to prepare for a possible outbreak and quarantine and then follow their guidance.
If stocking up on two weeks of shelf-stable food and water and bleach makes you feel better and less anxious, go for it!
If developing a plan with your child’s school/daycare provider alleviates your fear, do it.
Whatever action(s) you need or want to take that will help you feel more in control to deal with whatever may come, do it.
But what do you do when you’ve taken all the action you can and your anxiety is still peaking?
What do you do to manage your own feelings so you can be more calm and present for your kids or loved ones?
Here are a few of my best anxiety-management tools.
I hope they feel helpful and useful to you in these times.
Coronavirus Anxiety Tool #1: Ground Yourself & Calm Your Nervous System.
When you’re feeling anxious, your autonomic nervous system (ANS) is aroused. It activates your fight, flight, or freeze impulses, catalyzing a whole cascade of physiological symptoms throughout your body.
One of the ways you can begin to calm your nervous system and ease your anxiety is through some physical grounding and breath-driven self-soothing.
A tool I’ve found to be incredibly effective is a simple presence and breathing exercise:
Sit comfortably in a chair or on the couch. Let your eyes close. Rest your hands on your legs or on the furniture in whatever way feels comfortable to you. Slowly, and with your lips slightly open, begin taking a deep breath in. Push your lower abdomen out with air, bringing oxygen to the bottom of your lungs.
