Staying Calm During a Pandemic
Our day to day lives have been drastically changed due to COVID-19, making it easier to succumb to feelings of anxiety, panic, and hopelessness. It can be difficult to stay calm when things are out of our control, but here are some techniques that may be helpful.
Ground yourself
Grounding can help distract you from negative or challenging emotions
and refocus on what is happening in the present moment. By paying attention to your senses such as touch, smell, taste, and hearing, you bring focus back to your present self.
Try these techniques:
• Put your hands in water
• Pick up or touch items near you
• Savor a food or drink
• Savor a scent
• Listen to your surroundings
Move your body
It’s time to turn on your favourite tunes and get dancing! By putting your body in motion, you increase your serotonin levels, a hormone that’s directly related to mood and endorphins (chemical substances that promote the feeling of satisfaction).
Focus on what has not changed
Look around you right now and list 3 things that have not changed since the crisis. Maybe it is that you have plants that still need water and light to grow, or your daily breakfast of coffee and toast, or a regular walk around the block. Focusing on these things that haven’t changed brings a sense of normalcy back to your day.
Acknowledge your fear
Studies have shown that naming an emotion is the way to set yourself free of being bound to it. By acknowledging and sharing your fear you begin to recognize its hold on you. Trying to push these fearful and anxious emotions away, or by denying them, you only help them build.
Remind yourself of successes
We all experience fear, but a resilient mind can push past that fear to succeed. These are often seen as defining moments in our lives, such as learning to drive a car, graduating from school, or starting a new job. By reminding yourself of your successes in these big moments, you are reminded that good things can come from pushing beyond that initial fear.
Need more support?
The Therapy Centre has skilled Psychologists, Social Workers and Psychotherapists who effectively treat a variety of issues that may arise from the COVID-19 situation including fears, health anxiety, how to manage uncertainty and how to increase ones tolerance for the unknown.
At The Therapy Centre we are now offering Telehealth services including secure phone sessions and videoconferencing.
Our offices are located at 2525 Old Bronte Road in Oakville and 849 Upper Wentworth Street in Hamilton-just minutes from the QEW and easily accessible from Peel Region, Halton Region, Halton Hills, Stoney Creek and Niagara Region.
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/divorce-course/202003/5-steps-stay-calm-during-pandemic (opens in a new window)
https://www.healthline.com/health/grounding-techniques (opens in a new window)
https://exploringyourmind.com/dancing-helps-manage-anxiety/ (opens in a new window)
https://hbr.org/2020/03/build-your-resiliency-in-the-face-of-a-crisis (opens in a new window)
https://medium.com/invisible-illness/in-times-of-uncertainty-focus-on-what-hasnt-changed-37e91c29ed1 (opens in a new window)
https://www.scn.ucla.edu/pdf/SpiderAL-Wired.pdf (opens in a new window)