Coping with Anxiety in times of Uncertainty

successchaukec
May 13, 2021
2 min read

Success Chauke. May. 12 5

In December 2019, in the city of Wuhan, China, unusual cases of patients with pneumonia caused by the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported, and the spread of the virus swiftly became a global health threat, this resulted in major changes to the global economy, public health and a wide variety of physical impacts with new strains emerging from different countries.

Research has shown that COVID-19 has also had serious effects on people’s mental health and overall psychological wellbeing. A wide range of psychological outcomes have been observed during the Virus outbreak, at individual, community, national, and international levels. At the individual level, people were more likely to experience anxiety at the thought of getting sick or dying, feeling helpless, and being stereotyped by others.

As a way to reduce the infection rate many countries imposed travel restrictions and introduced lockdowns which caused a lot of uncertainties for communities and individuals as it affected their daily leaving and introduced what we have come to know as the "New Normal". Some people felt safer at home and some felt they needed to go out, with some even after some restrictions have eased the level of anxiety has significantly increased as they feel the virus is still out there and there are higher chances of infection. With this in mind I think it is safe to say a lot of people have experienced some form of anxiety on different levels, which can impact on productivity, wellbeing and overall wellness.

Strategies to cope with anxiety in these times:

Journaling and Keeping track of your thought patterns

Anxiety is very much related to our thought patterns, so keeping a journal of your thought patterns and noting whenever you feel anxious will help you recognize which thoughts trigger your anxiety.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

Sometimes is much easier to keep a record of the what we lack and what concerns us the most, which is a good evolutionary reflex. however doing the opposite and keeping a record of the things you are most grateful can help ease up some of the emotional burden you might be experiencing.