Coronavirus: Coping Strategies To Keep Your Anxiety Above The Curve

Navigating Anxious Times.

- Himshikha Shukla

Anxiety is often triggered by an event or situation that is inherently stressful or has uncertainty attached to it. One of the greatest sources of anxiety and worry is the unknown. As human beings, we don't like uncertainty, and we would rather fill in the blanks than sit with and accept a lack of answers or predictable outcomes. And with the coronavirus, there are lots of uncertainties coupled with the threat and fear of exposure, getting sick, or inadvertently infecting someone else.

Not having clear answers or predictable outcomes can be experienced as threatening, and our bodies react to threat. Physiologically, we go into a fight-or-flight response, which can include:

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure

• Quick and shallow breathing

• Excessive sweating

• Dizziness or trembling

We may become more sensitive to our surroundings and experience increased irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of concentration. Our thoughts can become obsessive, keeping us stuck in “What if's?” or “worst-case scenarios.” For kids and adults who already have a predilection towards feeling anxious or a diagnosed anxiety disorder, their symptoms can intensify.

NEGATIVE COPING STRATEGIES