How to Stay Healthy During Uncertain Times

A lot of people are anxious nowadays. For good reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic has morphed into something much greater than a viral illness alone. The fear, uncertainty, social isolation and financial devastation that have come along with it are now creating the perfect storm for mental health issues.

If you're feeling depressed or anxious due to the pandemic, recognize that these are normal reactions, and you're certainly not alone in these feelings. Research suggests that, due to the way your amygdala processes emotions, novel threats may raise your anxiety level more than familiar threats, simply for the fact that they're shrouded in uncertainty.

Below are a few potential steps to help you identify your anxieties and how to possibly deal with them. Anxiety can manifests itself in different ways for different people. Everybody is different and everybody reacts to stressors in different ways. It is key to listen to yourself.

A few internal ways you may feel anxious:

• Internal restlessness
• Irritability
• Difficulty concentrating
  

Or external ways:

• Gastrointestinal problems
• Shortness of breath
• Muscle tension
  

Knowing these internal and external stressors can help you build a healthy self-care routine. It can help you plan your free time around activities that will recharge your batteries in a positive way.

Here a few tips & hacks you can try:

Pick your favorite distraction

Ideally it is something you enjoy doing that you can still do while maintaining social distancing. 

Examples could be:

• Hiking and walking in nature
• Practice Yoga and Meditation
• Ride a bicycle
• Read a book
  
• Watch a funny movie
• Go surfing
  
• Play golf or tennis
• Workout outside
  
• Run at the beaches or forests

… The list is endless. Get creative.

Set a clear & measurable goals

Try to be specific. For example, you could commit to spending an hour in nature twice a week or meditate for 10 minutes before starting work each day. By setting a goal and sticking to it you're committing yourself to improving your behaviors.

Stick to your routine

According to "The Power of Habit" book, it takes about 66 days to form a habit. So don't beat yourself up if you miss a self-care day, it's ok. You can resolve yourself to do better next time. 

Below are a few tips that can help you address anxiety you may experience during a crisis:

Accept & Acknowledge that your anxiety and any negative thoughts emanate in such a time. It is a normal response to a global crisis.

Re-frame by identifying the cognitive distortions behind your anxious thoughts. Then try to re-frame them in a positive way.

Distract yourself constructively by building a self-care routine that will help you replace anxious thoughts with proactive habits. 

As stated above, everybody is different and reacts differently. It is not always easy to accept, re-frame and distract yourself. However, by paying close attention to your state-of-mind, and by closely listening to your thoughts - positive or negative - you may be able to direct some thoughts towards more pleasant and happy thoughts.