According to Our World In Data, an estimated 284 million people around the world experienced anxiety in 2017, making it the most prevalent mental health disorder on this planet. Anxiety is hard to live with on a normal day, but anxiety during a global pandemic? It’s like a minefield. You spend your time worrying, you then internally punish yourself for worrying, which leads to more worrying because should I be worrying this much?
These past couple of months have been hard for me, as I’m sure they have been for you too. Adjusting to this new normal has been extremely difficult for my anxious self but I think getting out of it will be a lot harder, having to go back in public, back to work, back to socialising seems so much harder now than it ever was before and I know I’m not alone in this. My brain is constantly thinking of the what ifs, what if I go out and catch the virus? What if I get sick and make my grandparents sick? What if I don’t know how to socialise anymore? What if, what if, what if… These are feelings I’m sure many of us are experiencing, so I’ve compiled a list of eight things I’m trying to do to overcome my anxiety; these are helping me control my anxiety and I hope they can be of some help to you too:
-
No more reading the news: This one is a little tricky because it’s important to know what’s going on in the world, however I realised that I was spending way too much time reading NEGATIVE news articles and fuelling my anxiety which is not healthy. Instead I keep up to date with coronavirus related news through the live updates and through my mother who’s an avid news reader!
-
Praying: This has really helped me relax and focus on one thing at a time, it’s a form of meditation in a sense and has been really helpful in calming my anxiety. I know not everyone is religious or spiritual, so instead you could do something like yoga to meditate.
-
Positive self-talk: This one is a little corny and to be honest, hasn’t been easy. I feel like we are all very self-critical people which can be extremely damaging to our health. I realised that I would promise myself I would have a productive day and if things didn’t go to plan because I wasn’t feeling well, I would be my own worst critic. However, since I have been practicing positive self-talk my mood has improved and so has my productivity. Be nice to yourselves people, it’s important.
-
Social media breaks: Although social media can be a really interesting place and a great form of entertainment, it’s important to unplug for a while. It’s extremely important to not only filter out the negative aspects of social media but also take time away from the endless scrolling. It can really fry our brains.
-
Journaling: Writing down how I feel has really helped with acknowledging and overcoming my emotions; I am able to identify when a certain feeling or worry is caused by my anxiety which leads to me reminding myself of positive outcomes or the positive ‘what ifs’ to a certain scenario.
-
Online counselling: Before lockdown I was referred to see a psychologist, however those visits were cut short due to the lockdown. I now Skype call a private therapist every Friday and take part in talking therapy as well as CBT. These sessions have really helped make sense of what I’m feeling, and they have helped me find positive ways of overcoming my anxiety. It’s also been really beneficial to offload to someone without the fear of being judged. I’m aware that not everyone is able to afford private counselling, however speaking to a friend or loved one can be just as effective. Or if you live in the U.K, you can contact your GP and they can refer you for counselling. There also some apps, such as Calm and BetterHelp that offer free online counselling sessions.
-
Making time for physical activity: This one is extremely important; with lockdown we’re all cooped up inside and we’re not getting much exercise or fresh air. Exercise is really helpful in relieving stress, improving health and boosting your mood, so even if you aren’t able to leave the house for a short walk try to do an at-home workout. I’ve been following Chloe Ting’s home workout videos on YouTube, they’re free to access and easy to follow.
-
Spending time with my family/keeping in touch with friends: It’s really easy to self isolate when you’re not feeling great, but we need to remember that this doesn’t help! I know it’s easier said than done but try your best to stay in touch with family and friends; it’ll help in feeling less alone and it may boost your mood. I’ve been having regular FaceTime sessions with friends and family, as well as spending more time with my family at home; I am now able to recognise when my anxiety is taking over me, so I’ll go and sit with my mum and chat about anything and everything, it always helps brighten my mood.
Well there you have it folks, those are the eight things I’ve been doing to help relieve my anxiety; please do share how you’re overcoming your anxiety in the comments down below! Also please keep in mind that these may not work for everyone as we are all different. If you're experiencing any issue with your mental health, you can call the following for emotional support:
• SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day)
• Anxiety UK on 03444 775 774 (Mon-Fri: 9:30am – 10pm; Sat-Sun: 10am-8pm)
• CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm- midnight every day)
• Mind on 0300 123 3393 (9am – 6pm Mon-Fri)
