How to stay calm during a crisis
Whether you live in Abbotsford or Indonesia, everyone around the world is feeling some level of anxiety and fear around the Coronavirus, whether it’s fear of catching the disease, anxiety about finances due to losing your job, or a deep sadness over having to physically distance ourselves, especially when it is during important life events like graduation, birthdays, or weddings. It is completely normal and warranted to feel this anxiety, and recognizing this feeling is the first step to gaining control over it. So here are some ways you can reduce COVID-19-related stress in your everyday life:
Consume healthy amounts of media. It is important to stay informed, as this is a rapidly-developing crisis; however, watching the news all day, every day is not helping your mental health. Limit what you read and watch to credible news sources only, like the Government of Canada’s website, the World Health Organization website, and reliable news channels like CBC, BBC, and Al Jazeera, and set an allotted time limit for how long you will intake news for every day.
Make your own health your first priority. Use this time to be the healthiest possible version of yourself — get plenty of sleep, eat nutritious foods, and exercise frequently. Once you develop these healthy habits you will soon find that you start feeling better than when you were binging Netflix all night, living off a diet of chocolate cake and Sun Chips. I cannot stress enough how wonderful exercise can be toward an improved mental health. And of course follow all the necessary precautions to help avoid contracting COVID-19: wash your hands, keep physical distance (try to stay at least six feet away from others), avoid non-essential errands or travel, and do not touch your face.
Stay connected. Social distancing does not mean social isolation. We have more tools than ever to be able to stay connected to our friends around the world. Be sure to schedule regular phone calls and video chats with your friends and family, and try to have a relaxing, fun conversation, not one dominated by Coronavirus news and fears. It is important to share these feelings with others, but don’t let it be the main focus.
Plan ahead for what you can. It may help to write a list of everything you are worried about, try to get to the root cause of your anxieties, and try to brainstorm different solutions to your fears. For example, I spent almost the entire month of April worried about whether or not I still have my summer job in hospitality, but a week ago I decided to just start applying for other summer jobs, and I already have half a dozen interviews with potential employers. Don’t go too deep into hypotheticals; this exercise is simply to show you that maybe your fears are not as big and scary as they seem in your head, and to help you utilize your problem-solving abilities and recognize that in the midst of all this chaos, you still do have some control over your life.
Phone a counsellor. If you need to talk to a mental health professional, you can phone the EmpowerMe hotline, a free crisis line for UFV students open 24/7. There is also the Crisis Text Line, where you can reach a counsellor through a simple text message.
Anxiety is not a problem you can solve or “hack” your way out of, but rather an emotion to be recognized and managed. Go easy on yourself and others, because living in a pandemic of this nature is a new experience for all of us.
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.