How I’m Managing My Heightened Anxiety

I’ve perpetually experienced anxiety for years and with the global pandemic COVID-19 here, it’s reached a heightened state where I feel a loss of control, worrying for my friends and family and adjusting every aspect of my life.

I also know that I’m coming from a place of privilege that I’ve worked hard to get to where I don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck and I have a job where I can work remotely, but no matter my stability, I feel a looming sense of fear and overwhelm I haven’t experienced at this level. And I personally know what it feels like to financially struggle as a child and I feel guilt and fear about what this looks like for people. This is a tough time for everyone.

I wanted to share a few ways I’m trying to minimize the anxiety and help myself work through these feelings, and would love to hear your ideas and feedback for what you’re doing.

Staying Connected

One of my greatest sources of anxiety is thinking about family and friends who have auto immune diseases and/or are unemployed or underemployed now. I call my mom more than daily (as I always do) but ask for updates on my siblings and checking in via text with friends and family. By taking small steps of action–calling them, ordering a few supplies on Amazon and offering up help if needed, it can help them and that’s all I want to do.

I also live with my boyfriend Matt and my friend has moved in temporarily so I personally feel like I have a lot of people time still, but as an introvert I’m not as affected by the lack of social interaction–if you do need people interaction to feel energized, you can always connect over Skype/FaceTime/Instagram/Snapchat and even Netflix is offering a service where you can watch a show or movie with your friends/fam kind of like a chat room. You can also search Facebook groups for special interests to connect with people who have similar interests–that’s been great for me too so far.

Taking Time for Me

As an introvert, I love my alone time–I can work on side hustles on my computer for hours after the work day, get lost in a TV show binge or scrolling Pinterest–but I’ve also decided to start journaling. Through writing and scribbling thoughts and ideas, I’m reminding myself it’s okay to not reach a goal or get a task done (the Enneagram type 3 in me feels worthless if I’m not constantly checking things off a to do list or adding a freelance project.) But I’m also still watching a lot of TV at night because that relaxes me–currently re-watching Game of Thrones for the fifth time.

I’m using some of the isolation time to reorganize parts of my home that stress me out like overflowing closets and messy drawers. I’ve already gotten a good start on the kitchen and hoping to tackle the bedrooms next and do some more thorough cleaning in the house every evening. For me, productivity is even more relaxing (and distracting.)

Write It Out

Building off the taking time for me–journaling is huge. If I feel a heightened sense of anxiety, I like to write or type out those feelings. What am I nervous, sad or anxious about? What’s the real story versus my perceived story? What can I do to make these things better? And give myself grace if I can recognize some things are out of my control. Working through my anxieties this way help me understand what’s giving me a sense of restlessness and I feel much more at ease after I do these exercises.

Prioritizing Work and Setting Boundaries

It’s really hard for me to end a day without having my to do list sorted, my email inboxes at zero and any easy task completed, but this has been near impossible this last week as my client work has increased because of their COVID-19 response and I’ve had to tell myself that it’s okay to wait on less important emails that pop up in the evenings and that not everything needs to be done the minute it’s asked for–I can set boundaries, better communicate and set a schedule/timeline that doesn’t require me working around the clock.

I’ve also been posting a lot less on the blog and social, just because I’m tired and it feels nice to not check in so much and update. A majority of the time this is so much fun for me, but when I’m overwhelmed in other parts of my life, this feels too stressful and it’s okay to slow down.

Exercise & Eating Well

I’m not very accountable on my own when it comes to exercise, preferring fitness classes, but with everything shut down, I have to prioritize this because moving really helps ease anxieties. So I’m charging my apple watch, taking walks with the dogs and doing some quick workouts at home with what equipment I have! FLEXcity Fitness, the studio I work at, is offering virtual classes so I’ve been participating in those and they’re actually a ton of fun, and a great workout.

Since I’ve had more time, I’ve been cooking and baking more, opting to make healthier dishes when I can like turkey chili, energy balls (oats, peanut butter and honey) and sweet potato skillets. I also bought other canned food, frozen items and dry goods that can last us for a couple weeks in addition to the produce and meat that’s in the house.

Cuddle the Pets

I’m lucky to have three cuddly Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, two of which that want to cuddle me nonstop and one who gives me side eye, but all three equally entertain me and make me happy. They get me out of the house for solo walks, I talk to them like they’re humans and they give me a purpose and something to focus on when I feel frustrated or upset.

What are you incorporating into your life to help ease any anxieties around coronavirus? I’d love to hear.