Coronavirus Anxiety? Maple Grove Psychologist Shares Tips for Coping
The push to stay away from crowds during the coronavirus outbreak means people are hunkering down and staying at home. That can have an impact on our psyche.
Clinical Psychologist Dr. Lisa Lovelace with Synergy eTherapy in Maple Grove says anxiety concerning COVID-19 is normal.
“It’s a normal response to something very new and something that feels very threatening,” Lovelace said.
However, panic and fear can affect an individual in many ways including emotionally and physically.
“It’s something that can increase a lot of different hormones in our body. The worry, that fight or flight system goes off more regularly,” Lovelace said. “You might feel your body shaking or you might get sweaty, you might just feel like ‘oh I don’t know if I’m here’.”
Some ways to calm anxiety, whether for coronavirus or in general, is to keep a consistent schedule, adhere to health experts’ recommendations but also limit how much time you spend consuming news, and stay connected with others. That last, says Lovelace, is especially important.
“We are now having to be really distant from everybody. Now people are going to be very isolated and that feeling, for many is going to be very overwhelming. So, get outside,” said Lovelace.
She encourages people to find creative ways to engage with others without being in the same room. Synergy eTherapy provides 6 ways to manage anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak.
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