1. Acknowledge the stress and anxiety you are feeling. Trying to ignore anxiety is like trying to pretend your hair’s not on fire. As it escalates, it becomes harder to put out. Say it out loud. Tell a friend or family member. Write it in your journal. There’s power in voicing the truth.
2. Commit to your self-care. Tough times call for more comfort and care. If you are working from home, take frequent breaks to get up and move around. Take your laptop or phone outside for a change of scenery. In the evenings before bed, treat yourself to a nightly soak in the tub. Read a juicy novel. Write someone you love an email to tell them you’re thinking of them.
3. Turn off the news and social media at least two hours before bedtime. Though we are in an unprecedented and changing global situation, the constant media and social media access can be feeding your anxiety level. Take time away from your phone, the tv, your computer every day. Make your bedroom a sanctuary from electronics.
4. Get outside every day. While practicing social distancing, walks in the neighborhood, gardening, exercising or stretching on your balcony or patio is a great way to get fresh air, and soak up some good vitamin D.
5. Try something creative. Cooking or baking, sewing or needlepoint, painting, drawing, writing, dancing or singing all take your focus off anxiety and give your brain something to do. Activate the creative part of your brain rather than allowing the survival/stress response part of your brain to take over.
6. B-R-E-A-T-H-E. Slowing your breath slows your heart rate, which reduces the stress response in your nervous system. Calm your body and your mind will follow.
7. Use your phone or computer to connect with friends and family. We need connection. Anxiety can make you want to close yourself off or think that you are truly alone. You are not alone. I promise you that others are feeling exactly like you. Staying alone in your head with the fear lets the anxiety take over. Talking about it, or talking about life in general, may help you release that mental imprisonment. Watch a funny movie with a friend over the phone. Play trivia games on zoom. Get creative with how you reach out and do it regularly.
8. Get up and move. Just like a mind left to dwell on stress tends to magnify its size, a body at rest tends to accumulate tension. Exercise, stretch, walk, or dance to allow your body to release its stress. Even 15 minutes twice per day can boost serotonin levels and help you combat anxiety and depression.
9. Plan how you will celebrate with family, friends, or yourself once life regains some normalcy. The stress response, or trauma response, tends to limit your ability to see the future. So actively and consciously plan a party, or a vacation for when life opens up again. Who will you want to see? Where will you go? Or maybe start a creative project, or business idea. Let yourself envision your next chapter with vivid detail.
10. Clean house. Literally and figuratively. What are you storing under cabinets and in closets, or in your garage that you can finally let go? What have you always wanted to do with those photographs of your favorite vacation? What might you clean up and donate to people who are in need? And the same goes for your personal head and heart space. Who might you forgive to free up your heart for more genuine love? How might letting go of old non-used items free up a creative space for an office or art space or meditation studio? Try one space at a time and see how it goes.
Most importantly, be gentle with yourself. Navigating tough situations takes patience and flexibility. Getting more comfortable with the discomfort of uncertainty builds this resilience. Redirecting and releasing nervous energy is key to staying present to your needs as well as the changing environment.
Stay safe out there. Wash your hands. Practice social distancing but connect often with your loved ones. We are in this together. And together we hold each other up.
If you are struggling and need to talk, please seek help. Don’t sit on it. National Alliance on Mental Health, https://www.nami.org/ , is a great resource for mental health issues.
If you are experiencing a mental health or medical emergency, please call 911, get help immediately.
Medical Disclaimer
The information contained in this document and on https://carolholguin.com is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA and any information or products discussed are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease or illness.
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