7 Effective Ways to Reduce Stress and Anxiety During Covid-19

Are you worried about the current situation? That’s normal and at the same time, helpful. People who worry during Cov19 outbreak are more likely to follow all the necessary health guidelines to protect themselves from the virus, such as physical distancing, handwashing, and wearing masks. However, prolonged anxiety can lead to more complicated health concerns such as emotional distraction, memory loss, heart attack and stroke. To help you keep anxiety at bay during these difficult times, here are helpful tips:

How to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

1). Keep Off from Misinformation

Being informed is crucial during the pandemic but if you aren’t careful, you might come across news that fuel panic and worries. More people who are anxious have a history of consuming panic-inducing stories from the media. If you are extremely fearful, stay away from sources of information about the virus.

More media outlets publish the latest news about Coronavirus such as local newspapers, personal blogs, and social networks. To reduce your chances of developing phobia and stress, stop watching, listening, or reading about Covid-19.

2). Get Enough Sleep

Who doesn’t like to sleep? Sleeping not only boosts your immunity but it is powerful stress alleviator. More studies that have been published show a strong link between good night’s sleep and anxiety reduction. In fact, sleep deprivation can lead to poor judgment, inability to learn, and the development of mood disorders.

You can get better sleep by avoiding daytime naps, using supplements, optimizing your bedroom, avoid alcohol, and expose yourself to bright light during the day. For those with common sleeping disorders, for example, sleep apnea, it’s important to seek help from a sleep specialist before things get worse.

3). Nourish Your Body

People are likely to overeat or eat little food when they are depressed. Also, stress can make us reach for unhealthy foods which increase our stress levels and lead to more complicated health issues. During the current situation, you are likely to thrive if you adopt a nutritious diet.

And the best way to achieve this is by eating foods that contain Vitamin C, complex carbohydrates, magnesium, and Omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds can help to lower the level of cortisol, stabilize mood, protect the brain from oxidative stress, and reduce high blood pressure during high-anxiety situations.

4). Don’t Focus Too Much On Bodily Symptoms

Overreacting to physical symptoms such as coughing can fuel intense fear. While flu-like symptoms may be related to coronavirus, it does not mean that you are infected with the virus. These are common issues for people with allergies, colds and bronchitis.

Stop scanning your body to check out if you’ve specific symptoms as this behavior may reinforce apprehension and increase anxiety. Instead of focusing on these common bodily symptoms, learn something new so that your mind can be distracted from this kind of thought. 

5). Do Some Exercise

Due to physical distance as a measure to reduce the spread of the virus, hitting the gym is impossible during this period of Cov19 outbreak. However, there are an assortment of ways to stay active like hiking, cycling, walking, dancing as well as push-ups.

The idea here is to stay active. Although aerobic exercises are known for helping individuals to build stamina, they have numerous mental benefits. According to one article published by Harvard Medical School, engaging in aerobic exercises lowers the production of stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the brain’s production of endorphins, a chemical that acts as the body’s pain killer as well as a mood elevator.

Don’t stay indoors without doing something to keep your body active. Stop treating quarantine like a prison! Get out and enjoy the sunshine while having a walk with your furry friend.

6). Stay Connected

Physical distancing should not prevent you from reaching your friends, colleagues or family members. When experiencing depression, seeking social support is one of the natural ways to heal. It helps you to get rid of loneliness and feeling of isolation.

You are not in this situation alone so reach out to your friend to know how they are handling the issue. And the technology has made connections much easier by offering different channels to link with your significant others. You don’t have to visit them in their homes, instead, you can call, text, video chats and so on.

As you talk to your friends, don’t feel shy to share your worries. In fact, the presence of a supportive friend during stressful moments reduces the negative impact of the situation, according to the American Psychological Association.

7). Express Gratitude

No matter how the current situation is hitting the world, you should be grateful. Are you healthy and safe wherever you are? Definitely yes. You should have more reasons to be Thankful. Expressing gratitude not only helps you deal with adversities but it elicits more positive emotions and promotes strong relationships between individuals.

Studies show that the level of stress-hormone such as cortisol is 23 percent lower in people who express gratitude on a daily basis. The more grateful you are, the more you’ll have better sleep, less fatigue, and of course, zero stress.

Managing stress is easy, no matter the situation. If you are depressed during these difficult times, try as much as possible to look for tools that’ll help you get rid of stress before your mental health is entirely ruined.

Once you experiment with these strategies without getting some relief, you should seek professional help as soon as possible. Even if you’ll be required to pay some bucks, restoring your mental health is essential for your overall well-being.

This could be the best decision you ever make! Always stay safe.