Panic in a Pandemic: How to Cope with Anxiety During this Time
To say that 2020 hasn’t gone the way any of us have planned, is an understatement. Being at home, indoors and away from people isn’t the easiest but here are a few ways we’ve been coping with isolation and anxiety.
Painting:
Now that we have so much spare time, paining for fun to just clear your mind is a great way to ease stress and lower anxiety. Colors, textures, and using the left side of your brain can help you relax.
Journaling:
Documenting your thoughts, desires, and fears is a great way to give words to your feelings. As a collective, we’re all so vulnerable at the moment so if you find it hard to open up to others, give free journaling a try.
Gardening:
We can’t all be Maurice Harris BUT gardening is a great way to reduce anxiety. Planting seeds and watering plants for about thirty minutes a day has been scientifically linked to lowering cortisol levels. Gardening, also being a physical activity, also boosts mood levels due to increased dopamine and serotonin levels.
Cooking:
Cooking lowers stress levels, gives you a fun activity you can do alone or with a quarantine buddy, and with time on our hands, you could even have fun cooking your way through a favorite cookbook if you wanted to!
Meditating:
Taking a moment each morning before grabbing your phone, hopping on a Zoom call, or turning on the television to unpleasant news, try visualizing all that you desire in life for twenty minutes. Add meditation music, binaural beats, or ocean waves to further calm you.
Stretching:
Our bodies need movement now more than ever so a little stretching couldn’t hurt. Stretching your limbs and body for twenty minutes when you wake up and an additional twenty minutes before bed and notice a huge difference in your stress levels.
Running:
Most gyms are still closed for health reasons but if you’re able to pound the pavement near your home, running is known for increasing the blood circulation to your brain and helps you think clearer.