It has been nearly two years since covid first created fear within us…two years! The idea that 2020 was a horrible year and 2021 would be better slipped away from us, and we now hope that 2022 may bring better health. The thing is, two years usually flies by. However, two years lived in fear can feel like a dark tunnel, especially when the end is not yet in sight. So, how do we take care of our mental health in this anxiety-provoking time? Keep reading below to learn how to cope with Covid anxiety in 4 steps.
1. Recognize your anxiety.
Take time to sit and think about what you are afraid of. Is it infecting someone else, getting sick yourself, taking time off work? Whatever it is, figure out where your anxiety is stemming from. A lot of times with anxiety, it comes down to a fear of not knowing what will happen and not having any control over it. Unfortunately, Covid checks both of those boxes.
2. Recognize what you can control & take action.
Take a moment and consider if there is anything that you can control. For example, you can get vaccinated, you can avoid crowded areas, you can get tested regularly. Think about what you can do to help yourself feel safer and more in control of the situation. Then, make sure you actually do it!
3. Recognize what you can’t control.
Similarly, consider what is completely out of your control. For example, if you are waiting on a test result, there is no amount of worrying that you can do that will speed up the process. You can stay away from others for the time being, which is in your control. But, worrying is not going to fix anything out of your control.
4. Recognize the disadvantages of worrying.
This brings us to our final step. Recognize that worrying is not doing anything positive for you! While this realization will likely not stop your worrying in an instant, it pushes the logical part of your brain to take hold of some of it. When we only using the emotional part of our brain, we can easily allow negative feelings to spiral. So, if we use our logic to recognize that worrying is counter-productive, it creates a small sense of peacefulness. There is peace in realizing that there is literally nothing more that you can do! So, find that thought and take hold of it.