Since Covid-19 has officially become a global pandemic the whole world has been struggling mentally. There’s been a significant increase in anxiety and fear and for those who already struggle with their mental health this epidemic is only making matters worse. 

If your anxiety is rising with every Covid-19 news update and you feel a lack of control to do anything about it YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Anxious Feelings?

1. Uncertain Future

Regardless of being infected with the virus many of us have been and will remain in quarantine in our homes for the upcoming weeks. No one is exempt, everyone has been directly affected by this epidemic.

2. Feeling Lack of Control

Increased anxiety levels due to panic over scarce resources and information overload coupled with indefinite isolation are the perfect recipe for increased anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Digital Fatigue

Many of us are spending an increased amount of time at home and inevitably in front of the TV. Not to mention the constant access to news from apps to social media.

This results in an increased focus on the negative and inevitably skyrocketing our anxiety and depression. Finding a few reputable sources like the CDC and limiting the amount of time that you focus on these can be helpful.

Daily Goals

Not having much on the agenda these days makes it pretty easy for us to brush off our old routine. But now more than ever is when keeping a routine is most important, especially if you have children at home.

The desire to sleep in and wear your PJs all day may be strong, but you’ll be doing yourself a favor if you still get up in the morning, take a shower, do your hair and makeup and maybe even put on pants. Self-care is also really critical at this time, practice grace with yourself.

Safe Spaces

The world is a scary place right now, but Your world doesn’t have to be. What’s happening within our home is one thing that is in our control right now.

It’s important to make our home our safe space, free of the chaos that lies outside. When our environment is chaotic we tend to feel chaotic. Keeping up with cleaning and organizing will help you to feel safe and in control of your surroundings.

Stay Positive

Keeping a positive mindset is important all of the time and especially during a pandemic, however it’s also really hard during this time.

Reframing your thoughts can be helpful in working towards a positive mindset. Reframing your thoughts from “I’m stuck at home” to “I have the opportunity to be home and…” will be your best friend right now.

Using this reframe will help you to stay focused on the positive as well as identifying what you can do right now to make a positive impact on your life.

Stop Procastinating

What’s been on your To Do List FOREVER, but you just haven’t had the time to get around to it? Well, now you do! So what’s been on that list and how can you start taking advantage of your free time to tackle some of those things?

If you don’t have one already, create a To Do List of all of those things and take it a step further by starting to plan out how and when you will start on each activity. If you start working on that big home organization project or that garden you’ve been wanting to plant when the world gets back to normal you’ll be a step ahead of the game. 

Tele-Therapy 

With social media, technology can get a bad rep for our mental health, but now more than ever we can use technology for good. It’s important to remember that we’ve seen pandemic’s before, the 1918 and the 1968 Flu Pandemic and more recently the Swine flu in 2009.

The benefit that we have now is the advancement in science and technology as well as our overall improved understanding of hygiene and sanitization. The nature of a pandemic is one that results in no one being alone in this. Almost every therapist and treatment facility is utilizing Telehealth to ensure that people who need and want mental health services can get it. So if you’re struggling with your mental health at this time use technology to your advantage and reach out for help.