Anxiety Doesn’t Have to Be Your New Normal
By: Lucy King
Tags: Mindfulness, Inspiration, Quarantine, Lockdown, Coronavirus

Anxiety Doesn’t Have to Be Your New Normal

Tips for staying positive during the coronavirus.

Photo by Pille-Riin Priske on Unsplash

My hometown (Melbourne) plunged back into lockdown this week in an effort to curb fast rising COVID-19 infections. As stage three restrictions loom, I ponder the dull reality of being stuck at home for six weeks with reduced contact by friends and loved ones.

“Get a grip,” I tell myself.

Staying positive is harder than it used to be even for the most optimistic people. Coronavirus has affected people everywhere. Entire countries are in quarantine. People are sick. Health services overwhelmed. If you are feeling negative don’t worry — you are not alone.

Together, we’ll get through this.

While it is true we need to take the pandemic seriously, it does not have to break us. Yes, the coronavirus has harmed our economy and caused illness worldwide. And yes, we see, hear and read about it all day long. Yet feeling constantly concerned or anxious doesn’t have to be our new normal.

Keep social, even when social distancing

During lockdown some of us experience loneliness while others relish the solitude. Yet a desire for connectedness is generally true and critical right now as we are going through a crisis. To make it through in the most resilient way possible, relying on other people for support is important. Scheduling time with friends and family helps to keep feelings of isolation in check.

Happy people are socially connected.

Social distancing means we can’t physically spend time with the people we care about. That’s why connecting up with people in real time can be a powerful antidote to loneliness. Zoom or FaceTime is better than a phone call with loved ones because you see facial expressions. You’re able to connect with people and all the emotions they are experiencing in the moment.

Help others

We tend to have this idea of focusing on self-care above all else during a crisis. But that’s not exactly what happy people are doing. Yes, it is important to ensure your own needs get met. But at the same time happy people are giving money to charity. Happy people are focusing their time on volunteering. Doing things for others is a great way to shake of the blues during the coronavirus.

Research shows helping others can also help protect your mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, combat depression, keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose.

Random acts of kindness can be incredibly powerful. And that’s for a couple of reasons. First, being kind to others is a simple way to improve your own wellbeing. Second, doing nice things for other people at a time where lots of people are suffering and vulnerable is simply the right thing to do.

Exercise — even if you can’t leave your house

A lot of us are moving less because we’re not getting our steps in walking to work and so on. But in some ways, that’s on us right? Just because you are not walking to work doesn’t mean you can’t exercise at all. Just because your gym shut doesn’t mean you can’t do a workout at home. There are so many free classes online and so many different types of exercise classes.

Despite housebound, you can still find ways to incorporate movement into your day. Even a small amount of movement can make a difference. It can have a huge impact on anxiety you are feeling due to coronavirus and help ease stress and depression.

Here is how I stay active while stuck at home during lockdown.

Schedule it. Scheduling workouts may prevent you from procrastinating or avoiding them all together. I find it is easiest to exercise first thing in the morning. Others may find it easier in the afternoons or at night. It doesn’t matter when you do it as long as you commit to being active a couple of hours each day.

Try something new (or rekindle an old passion). During lockdown I’ve rediscovered my yoga practice. It’s been 10 years since I’ve been this flexible and bendy! I do yoga stretches soon after I wake up which sets me up with a feeling of calm and serenity for rest of my day.

Move around the house more. I take an extra lap or two around the house if I have to put something away. If you have stairs, go up and down them a few times throughout the day.

Write standing up. I set up my laptop on my kitchen counter table top and write standing up. This is a no brainer for writers and others who spend hours tapping away on keyboards.

Mop those floorboards. Household tasks like sweeping, dusting, and vacuuming all add up when done at a brisk pace. They also work the muscles in your arms and legs. The same goes for gardening too.

DIY home gym. My home gym consists of a yoga mat, foam roller, resistance bands etc. To lift weights I fill up water bottles. To tone my abs I tuck my feet under the sofa and do sit ups. I skip rope outside on my balcony. There really is no reason to skip a workout just because you are stuck at home.

It’s normal to feel less motivated to exercise when your routine turns upside down. But even a small amount of movement can make a difference. Treat it as a challenge or a game to get it done more easily.

Savor everyday pleasures

Research shows happy people are more mindful. They tend to be in the present moment noticing what’s happening to them. Right now many of us are in fight or flight mode. Our chests are wound tight. Our muscles are tensed up and so on. The act of slowing down — taking a deep breath — puts you in the present moment. Being in the moment allows you to put some resources into managing your state of mind and health, which is something we all need to do right now to build up resilience.

Think about how you want to look back on this time

The coronavirus is a historic world event. In the future, when we look back on all this time we had, we may wonder how it all went? Had we made anything positive out of the situation we found ourselves in? Try to think about how you want to remember COVID-19? What are the stories you want to tell people about this time in your life?

Do you want to tell people you binged on NetFlix, hoarded toilet paper and copious amounts of dry goods? Or would you rather share how you made the best of the situation by helping the people around you through a difficult time? Or how you worked on improving yourself in someway?

Making a positive story starts and ends with you.

Be the clue that keeps your family together. Make productive use of all the free time at your disposal. Enjoy all the precious moments during lockdown. For when you appreciate the ordinary, each and every day is extraordinary!

Thank you for reading.