How Can I Deal With Pandemic Fear?

We fear many new, unknown situations. Currently, with the SARS-COV-II coronavirus pandemic, we are all in an unprecedented situation. How to deal with epidemic anxiety? What causes our anxiety and how to help yourself, and when to go to a specialist?

What causes anxiety in a pandemic age?

The period of the spread of the virus is conducive to both the emergence of fears and their intensification, if someone has struggled with them before. What causes anxiety? First of all:

information overload – in the age of the Internet and numerous live coverage, we are almost at every moment bombarded with information about subsequent deaths caused by coronavirus and infections, not only in Poland, but also around the world,
uncertainty about the future – we do not know yet how long the epidemic will last and what exactly will be the effects in the economic sphere,
fear of being infected , not only to ourselves, but most of all to our relatives.

For this reason, many people experience stress, constant tension, and thus the immune system and the entire body are still mobilized to work. How to deal with anxiety in such a situation?

How to deal with anxiety? Take a look at your emotions

How can I deal with anxiety on my own? It is possible, but it is worth looking at the emotions and feelings you feel. Often times our mind produces a state of anxiety by itself. The brain does not know facts from thoughts, so the more we think about the threat, the higher the level of anxiety we feel. A high level of stress makes it impossible to assess the real threat and to react adequately to the situation.

The coronavirus pandemic also causes anxiety in people who previously downplayed the problem or did not pay attention to media reports. Unfortunately, most of us have a person in our immediate vicinity:

immunocompromised,
at risk,
older,

which makes us fear for health and the lives of loved ones, and information about subsequent deaths increases anxiety. And although it is natural in the present new situation, when it dominates and begins to turn into panic attacks, a problem arises. How do you deal with panic?

How to deal with anxiety in a pandemic? Rationally

We like when we have everything under control and we find it difficult to accept that life is unpredictable. This is one of the elements that needs to be worked on if we want to deal with the fear of contact with people in the current situation and the coronavirus . It’s worth it:

accept volatility and uncertainty – it is an integral part of our life,
try exercises that will allow you to come to terms with uncertainty – to start with it is worth reducing the time spent on reviewing information about a pandemic,
confront anxiety, not avoid it – writing therapy is a valuable experience; if you want to let go of the emotions that torment you, write them down on paper (but without judging),
focus on something that gives our life meaning – maybe you’ve always wanted to do something, but you never had time for it? Now you have the opportunity to implement your plans,
take care of the regularity of the day and well-being (proper diet, exercise).

Panic comes from ignorance , guesswork, frequent conversations based on assumptions. You should stay calm, i.e. accept a given situation and redirect your attention to what is important to us (relationships, hobbies, development, passion).

How to take care of your psyche to deal with anxiety and anxiety?

You feel like you can’t cope if:

someone in your immediate vicinity will get sick,
you will have to be quarantined,
you will not be able to see a partner with whom / with whom you do not live ?

You are stronger than you think . To strengthen your psychic strength and deal with your fears, remember the difficulties that aroused your fear and which you eventually overcame. You can save them. You see? It turns out that you are often able to cope without anticipating it.

Take the situation seriously, but don’t exaggerate it

Unfortunately, many people tend to the so-called winding up a spiral of negative thoughts and exaggerating the threat. It is worth following the recommendations provided by organizations such as the World Health Organization, but not constantly thinking that you will definitely get sick. Statistics show that 80% of people are mildly infected with SARS-COV-II.

Proven ways to reduce stress and anxiety

To reduce anxiety, it is worth taking care of yourself and your resilience . Action reduces anxiety. What is worth doing? Bet on:

adequate sleep of adequate length (an adult should sleep 7-8 hours a day),
meditation and mindfulness techniques,
exercises, especially calming yoga .

You can’t help yourself? Seek the help of a specialist

People who struggle with anxiety disorders on a daily basis are going through a difficult time. We are not always able to deal with the feelings that plague us on our own – anxiety, especially panic attacks that arise. If you feel that anxiety is taking over your life, contact a psychologist or psychotherapist. In the current situation, it is worth focusing on online contact, which will help reduce anxiety in a specific situation related to the coronavirus pandemic. When the situation improves, you will be able to benefit from psychotherapy in the form of traditional meetings.

If you are looking for a psychologist or psychotherapist near Warsaw, please contact me. I am a psychologist and psychotherapist with many years of experience. I approach each case individually, I help to cope with anxiety disorders and reduce stress. I also provide the possibility of telephone contact.