Pandemic Panic - How To Get Grip On Your Biggest Fears

Pandemic panic is a real thing and, while a little anxiety is good for us, managing it is key. Here’s how

- Lindsay De Freitas

There was already plenty to worry about before: the state of the economy, the cost of living, climate change. All this made us fret about the future – but the coronavirus pandemic has ramped up feelings of uncertainty to the max.

We’re confronted with things we never imagined – being in lockdown in our homes, the closure of schools, universities and businesses, the economy teetering on the brink of collapse.

Life has never felt more uncertain and neuroscientists will tell you uncertainty is an even more stressful state to be in than actually knowing something bad will happen.

In a study done at University College London, researchers discovered that participants who knew for sure they’d receive a painful electric shock felt calmer and less agitated than those who were told they had a 50% chance of being shocked.

The human brain isn’t wired to tolerate uncertainty, but it’s wired to be alert to a threat. “If your brain doesn’t know what’s around the corner, it can’t keep you out of harm’s way,” US-based psychotherapist Bryan Robinson explains.

“It always assumes the worst, over personalized threats and jumps to conclusions. Your brain will do almost anything for the sake of certainty.

“And you’re hard-wired to overestimate threats and underestimate your ability to handle them – all in the name of survival.”

So if you’re feeling pandemic panic, it’s only natural, says Melissa Ferreira, a Cape Town-based educational psychologist.