You don’t have to be a heavy thinker or blame your genes for being emotional, stressed and anxious amid the coronavirus pandemic. Believe us when we say – it’s natural. However, unmanaged stress and anxiety can cause some real-time damage to your mind and body. This is why we are here to teach you how to manage anxiety and stress when you can feel yourself struggling. Stress about the Coronavirus pandemic is real, so don’t try to pretend to be okay. Instead, try this!
1. Build a routine
If a book named ‘How To Manage Your Raging Coronavirus Anxiety’ existed, building a routine would be the first chapter. Here’s what the experts say about the importance of a routine:
“Your daily routine influences your quality of rest. Your sleep schedule and bedtime habits affect your mental sharpness, performance, emotional well-being, and energy level. It’s best if you can maintain a consistent time for waking and going to bed.”
Northwestern Medicine
2. Workout to manage the raging stress & anxiety
There’s nothing a good workout can’t beat esp. when you can’t help but stress about the coronavirus pandemic. It may sound funny, but putting physical stress on your body can relieve mental stress. Exercising has many benefits such as reduced stress hormones like cortisol, improved sleep quality, increased confidence, and a good release of endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals in your brain that elevate your mood and help with the pain. Truly the best way to get manage your stress and anxiety. So get that lazy booty out of bed and start moving!
3. Puppy therapy
How to manage anxiety? Find a fluffy friend – because the best therapist has four legs, a heart of gold, and fur! It doesn’t matter if you’re a dog person or a cat person, petting all animals can help release oxytocin, a brain chemical that promotes a positive mood.
Fun Fact: Gazing deep into your dog’s eyes releases ‘Oxytocin’ in both you and your pet. Which can not only make you happier but also help you combat stress and anxiety effectively. Isn’t that the cutest?
4. Praying & meditating is the best way to manage stress & anxiety
When the world feels like a desolate place, and everything seems meaningless, believe in someone greater than yourself. It’s the coronavirus pandemic and some of the best minds on the whole of the earth are struggling to find a way out of it, so if you’re religious, this is a great time to turn to your faith. If not, take some time out of every day to meditate – it can feel strange at first, but stick at it to experience the calming benefits.
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
– Mark 11:22-24
5. Reconnect
This may seem obvious, but people just aren’t reconnecting enough right now. People suffering from long-term stress and anxiety seem to shut themselves out fearing that their friends and family won’t understand them. It’s extremely challenging for them to manage their anxiety – even the most menial tasks become cumbersome.
So having a close-knit circle of friends to talk with, is the most comforting experience at this time. If you, or someone you know is battling anxiety, be sure to seek or extend comfort. Let’s all be there for each other and help manage the raging stress & anxiety that most of us are overlooking.
“One study found that for women in particular, spending time with friends and children helps release oxytocin, a natural stress reliever. This effect is called “tend and befriend,” and is the opposite of the fight-or-flight response.”
– Pubmed.gov
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