How to Deal with Anxiety and Stress During COVID-19
Raise your hand if you have been personally victimized by COVID-19…that is pretty much all of us! We are all going through something unbelievably challenging and finding ways to cope with this shit show is crucial to our mental health and overall wellbeing. In this post, discover 4 coping techniques to help get you through this tough ass time.
anxiety and stress COVID-19 brings
COVID-19 is taking a toll on our mental health, period! We are all stuck at home with not much to do and it is driving many of us batshit. Mostly all of us thought quarantine would be fun and it was when it first started but we are now at the point where we don’t know how much more we can take. If you are feeling this way, rest assured that you are not alone…I myself have days that I struggle with mental health and it is completely expected.
Since it’s pretty obvious that COVID isn’t going anywhere anytime soon it is vital to find an outlet to relieve anxiety and stress. Here are some anxiety and stress relief methods to try out.
meditation
Simply, meditation is a mental exercise that strengthens your awareness, mindfulness and higher consciousness. Typically, meditation is practiced to help deepen the understanding of life and its transcendent forces.
Meditation can also be practiced to reduce stress, relieve anxiety, and improve emotional wellbeing. Regular practice of meditation has been scientifically proven to reduce age-related memory loss, help fight addictions, improve sleep, help control pain, and decrease blood pressure.
First and foremost, it is important to understand that meditation is NOT meant to clear your thoughts. In fact, it is the opposite. In order to meditate, you must focus and ponder on something. Think of the word meditation as a synonym for the word concentration. For example, in order to use mediation to reduce anxiety, you have to concentrate on calming down and relaxing.
How to Meditate
Choose a peaceful environment. First, choose a place where you will not be interrupted for the duration of your meditation. Choose a place where you are comfortable and have privacy. This can be outside, in your room, in your kitchen, etc.
Basically, you are looking for a quiet and private place that you feel most peaceful in and where no one will bother you.
Position yourself. Second, find a comfortable position whether that be sitting or laying down. Traditionally, meditation is done sitting but sitting isn’t always the most comfortable so laying down is okay too.
Listen to your body and do what feels right.
Close your eyes. Third, closing your eyes helps to deepen your awareness of your breath, body, and thoughts. To further explain, keeping your eyes closed reduces visual sensory which allows your other senses to be heightened.
It’s pretty fucking hard to meditate with your eyes open as the goal is to reduce distractions.
Focus on your breathe. Fourth, follow your breathing pattern. It helps to take a few deep breaths then settle into a natural breathing pattern. It is important to breathe in a way that feels right to you. After all, your body takes care of breathing so all you have to do is let your mind follow.
Simply, follow your breath for a few moments.
CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MEDITATION!!
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing your awareness on the present moment while acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. By far, my favorite anxiety relief technique is mindfulness meditation as it brings your thoughts and awareness to the present moment. For many, anxiety is a product of focusing on the future so regularly practicing mindfulness will stop those thoughts and reduce anxiety.
Start by sitting or lay down. Next, close your eyes and breathe; focus on your breathing and how your body feels. Then, allow your thoughts to drift away and bring your attention back to your body. Breathe deeply and do a full-body scan just to take note of how you are feeling at this moment. Finally, open your eyes, look around you, and take a minute to get back up.
CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MINDFULNESS!!
Mind Shift Meditation
Mind shifting is a simple exercise that refocuses your attention and changes your state of mind. This method is most commonly done by listening to guided meditations with a positive message but it can also be done by listening to an audiobook or a bedtime story. You should listen to something that captivates your mind and requires your undivided attention. When you do this you are putting a stop to negative thoughts and replacing them with something more useful. This technique works best when you listen to someone else speak so you can put a stop to your own source of negative thoughts.
CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MEDITATION FOR ANXIETY RELIEF!!
Dance Meditation
Dance meditation is also commonly referred to as ‘movement meditation’. Dance has the power to free us from our thinking minds as we are able to fully inhabit our bodies yet at the same time step outside of ourselves. I feel like that was a mouthful so go ahead and read that again…
Step 1 – First things first, take a few deep breaths and calm your shit! No one is watching you dance – NO ONE! If you need to vogue it out while crying, do you boo! Don’t feel embarrassed or weird about what you are about to do…after all, this is considered a therapeutic exercise!
Step 2 – Next, choose a song or playlist. I personally prefer a playlist as I like to dance out all types of emotions – sad, happy, angry, sexy. I like to put my playlist on shuffle and set the intention that the songs that play hold the energy I need to release or embrace.
Step 3 – Lastly, start the song or playlist of your choosing and simply allow your body to dance however it pleases. Close your eyes and simply feel the music. There is no right or wrong way to dance during this type of meditation-let your thoughts go and allow your body to be fucking free!
CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DANCE MEDITATION!!
affirmations
Simply, affirmations are phrases you say out loud or think to yourself. In detail, affirmation defined means the act of affirming. Hence, when you say or think a phrase over and over again you are affirming that it is true. These phrases can be positive or negative. Obviously, negative affirmations make you feel shitty whereas positive affirmations make you feel amazing. For example, repeating “I am dumb” will make you feel sad whereas repeating “I am smart” will make you feel happy.
We are about to get real scientific in this explanation of why and how affirmations work so put your thinking cap on! First and foremost, you must understand the bundle of neurons in your brain that carries important subconscious thoughts to your conscious mind. These neurons are your Reticular Activating System (RAS).
This system filters out unnecessary information so that only the essentials make it to your conscious mind. Basically, your RAS delivers subconscious thoughts to your conscious mind. Therefore, the repetition of positive affirmations will train your RAS to filter through positivity as essential information.
Not only does the Reticular Activating System (RAS) filter essential information, it also seeks proof to validate that information. In other words, when you repeat a phrase, your RAS seeks out supporting evidence to connect to the original thought. For example, if you’re repeating “I am smart”, your RAS will recognize proof to validate that statement.
Affirmations for Anxiety Relief
- Breathing in, I calm my body, breathing out, I smile.
- I am capable of solving any problem that faces me.
- I am relaxed; I am calm.
- My anxiety/depression does not control me.
- I am in control of my thoughts and emotions.
- I have the power to stop this.
CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AFFIRMATIONS!!
yoga
First and foremost, yoga is a mental, physical and spiritual exercise. This exercise consists of low-impact physical activity such as holding postures called asanas, breathing techniques called pranayama, and meditation. The goal of yoga is to achieve complete harmony and balance with your mind, body, and soul.
It has been found that consistent yoga practice improves depression and leads to a significant increase in serotonin levels while decreasing levels of monoamine oxidase and cortisol. This means it helps balance the negative chemicals in your brain to bring about happiness and contentment.
CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOGA FOR ANXIETY AND STRESS RELIEF!!
My Favorite Yoga Apps
Yoga for Beginners | Mind+Body
This is by far my favorite app as it is perfect for beginners and quick sessions. It offers different sequences that focus on different areas of the body and types of relaxation. Hands down- best app for beginners!
This app is awesome as it focuses on following your breath during the session. This is a great app for beginners who would like to track and build their progress. Essentially, the more you practice the more levels and sessions you unlock.
This app offers over 500 different sessions for different levels and time limitations. This is a great app for those who want to practice a new sequence regularly and expand their practice.
read
Reading is a great escape and has been proven to reduce stress and alleviate depression! Here are some of my favorite books that are incredibly inspirational and extremely engaging!
The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a page-turner, in my opinion! This book is about Julian, an ex-lawyer who embarked on a spiritual journey, and John, a stressed-out lawyer wanting something more. Julian shares with John the wisdom he learned during a trip to the Himalayan’s.
This book is extremely easy to follow and grasp. You will learn how to develop joyful thoughts, follow your life’s mission and calling, cultivate self-discipline and act courageously, value time as your most important commodity, nourish your relationships, and live fully. I absolutely LOVE that this book breaks down everything so that you have the tools you need to live a more balanced life.
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Four Agreements is a wonderful book that reveals self-limiting beliefs we all face and how to overcome those obstacles. This inspiring book clearly lays out the 4 agreements, based on the ancient Toltec wisdom, we should make with ourselves in order to achieve balance. The Four Agreements are: be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best. This is book was published in 1997 and the lessons taught are still relevant to this day and will remain for many years to come!
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
I am sure you have heard of this book as it has gained a tremendous amount of popularity since its release in 2006. There is a reason for its popularity so DO NOT overlook this book. This book will not only explain the Law of Attraction but also how to put the Law into action. If I am being completely honest, I prefer the audiobook version of this piece…which is strange because I usually enjoy actually reading the book, but the energy of Rhonda transfers better via audio. The hype of this book is justified!
final thoughts
All in all, dealing with this COVID shit is hard so the only thing to do is take it day by day and find an outlet to relieve anxiety and stress. We will get through this…stay strong, everything will be okay.