March caught us off guard, turning our lives upside down and leaving us feeling trapped. Uncertainty has left everyone unsure of how to navigate this situation. For individuals with anxiety, the impact has been particularly devastating. Personally, I have been open about my own struggles with anxiety, as each day brings a mix of emotions – sadness, worry, frustration, and even moments of calm. However, I have discovered some strategies that help me manage during this challenging time. So I would like to share some tips on coping with anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic.
*There are a few affiliate links in this post to products I personally use.
Related: Self Care: Why It’s Important
Meditation & Breathing
Never underestimate the power of meditation and breathing. These two things have always helped me ease anxiety. Take a few minutes in the morning and at night before bed to meditate. Simply find a quiet place, close your eyes and focus on your breath. I cannot tell you how much this has helped me out. I also like using the apps, Bloom and Calm to help me meditate.
Prayer
Whatever your faith may be, prayer is another powerful force that ties perfectly into meditation and breathing. I usually pray throughout the day- nothing crazy, a few simple short conversations with the higher power. But since corona, I find I am thanking Jesus every morning for another day of good health and family. This is also a way of practicing gratitude.
Essential Oils
I love essential oils and believe in their healing powers. I have a diffuser in my bedroom as well as my daughters. We mostly use peppermint (to help with calming down and headaches) and eucalyptus (to focus) but I also like lavender for those nights I can’t get to sleep which have been many lately.
Warm Baths
A warm bath is always calming and soothing. I like to throw in a few drops of rose oil or peppermint for some aromatherapy. (Can you tell I’m hooked on peppermint oil?)
Short Walks
If you’re not at high risk and live in a quiet area, take short walks. However, this all depends on whether you feel safe or not. Wear a mask and sunglasses to be safe (since now there are speculations of it being airborne for some time). But some fresh air and nature do the mind and soul good.
Yoga
Like meditation, yoga also consists of many breaths. I find myself so much more relaxed after a yoga session. There are so many great ones online you can access for free. I especially like Yoga with Adriene and for kids, Cosmic Kids Yoga.
Arts & Crafts
Because crafting makes me happy. Whenever I find myself stressed out, I make stuff. Yep, it’s true. You can find me in my daughter’s craft studio either painting or gluing or making some sort of thing.
Happy Projects
Aside from arts and crafts, one of my passions is flipping things and house projects. I make a plan and get to it. Sanding, painting and decorating take me to a whole other zone- it’s highly therapeutic for me. And I can put my perfectionism into these projects (instead of making myself crazy IRL).
Unplugging
This is a big one. We are so attached and dependent to our phones and it’s really unhealthy. I’ve been unplugging more lately- from social media apps and news. Too much is not good for anyone with anxiety, it will really mess with your nerves and mind. It’s ok to get a daily update to stay informed but no more than that. All those sad stories will put you in a very depressed mood. As an empath, I also just can’t take too much. So try to unplug every no and then. Get work done or clean or workout. Do anything to keep you distracted.
Lifeline Friends
One of the best ways to ease anxiety during this time has been connecting with friends who share the same concerns. I have some great friends that have stayed connected and we ask each other how we are or send each other funny memes to get by. We’ve even been collaborating on fun challenges lately to stay busy. And recently, we started a support group with daily exercise challenges. Keeps us sore and… distracted.
Have a Little Hope
Everyone reacts differently to things so I can’t tell you exactly what will work for you but I hope some of my suggestions may help to ease anxiety you may have. No matter what, try to see the light in all of this and have some hope. We’re all in this together. If you need to reach out, comment below or hit me on a DM on social.
Hang in there ♥️ xoxo
