Anxiety During COVID-19
/Written By: Mira Hobbs, The Letter Project Social Media Intern
After numerous years of trial and error, I finally discovered the most effective and helpful method to coping with my anxiety: going outside to clear my mind and practice my breathwork in the fresh air. However, with the current situation the world is in, it is rightfully encouraged and important that people spend the majority of their time indoors. For someone who struggles with anxiety, nothing sounds worse than being alone with their thoughts for long periods of time, except maybe… also testing positive for Covid-19.
Having gone through all of the above, I was forced to learn how to take care of my physical and mental health without leaving my house. I felt as though I had to completely restart my research on how to calm my anxiety while also starting new research on how to recover from Covid-19. While I am not a mental health expert, I wanted to share my personal experiences and what has helped me during tough and uncertain times
Get in touch with your senses
Getting in touch with your senses allows for you to feel fully aware in the present moment, which eliminates stresses and worries about the past or future. Focusing on and listening to your body and what it needs will allow you to feel in control of the situation, which consequently eases your anxiety. Here are some activities I have been doing and products I have been loving which have helped me get in touch with my senses:
Breathwork: The Calm App
Yoga: Yoga with Adriene on YouTube
Lighting candles: Trudon candles
Cooking: What you put in your body is what fuels and energizes you. Take your vitamins, drink lots of water, and eat tasty yet healthy food because it will make you feel less bloated, lazy, and anxious. There is plenty of research out there on how food and digestion is linked to anxiety, I highly recommend reading about it!
Skincare: The Ordinary, CeraVe, Kiehl’s, I’m a huge skincare nerd, I have 100s of products I could recommend! :)
Partake in productive distractions
One of the toughest parts about staying inside for me was I started to feel stuck and useless because I wasn’t doing anything productive and I had no creative outlet. Although my physical and mental health were causing me to be extremely exhausted all the time, finding hobbies to keep my mind busy and give me a purpose was a very helpful way to calm my anxiety. Here are some of the productive and creative activities I filled my time with:
Reading: Breathe magazine, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
Coloring: Adult coloring books
Avoid “what ifs” and worrying about things you can’t control
Lastly, and in my opinion most importantly, I highly recommend trying your hardest to only focus on the things you can control and to stop worrying about the things that are out of your hands. The majority of my anxiety usually stems from events that MIGHT or COULD happen but haven’t actually occurred.
I waste so much time stressing about potential outcomes instead of focusing on what I am capable of doing to help myself in the moment.
Instead of browsing WebMD for hours going crazing about what symptoms you might possibly have or could get, check in with your body and focus on what it needs RIGHT NOW. You are in control of your body and your future, no matter how out of control everything may seem or feel.
I know anxiety and mental health comes in many different forms and although yours may look vastly different from mine, I hope this post at the very least has helped you realize no matter what life throws at you, you will adapt and find your footing.
Everything is going to be okay.
If you ever need someone to talk to, I am always here for you. I am the current Social Media Intern for The Letter Project so you can reach me through our Instagram @toloveourselves or my personal Instagram @mirajhobbs. Stay safe and healthy everyone!
