There’s been a lot of stress the past few weeks. People are stuck inside, have lost their jobs, have canceled trips, birthdays, and weddings, and limited seeing loved ones, friends, and coworkers. It’s been a time of immeasurable hardship. That strong limitation on the above moments and activities has created a surge in anxiety for an abundance of people. If you want to help limit that anxiety and tension, take a look below at the different ways to stay calm during times of hardship. From getting into a meditation routine to ensuring fresh air at least once a day, these may not rid anxiety entirely, but they should help calm it a bit.
Delve Into a New Routine
With the pandemic shaking up many people’s routines, it’s important that you still build a routine for yourself. Don’t push back your wake-up time too far; otherwise, you’ll feel entirely unproductive for the day. Schedule times for walks, times for work, times for eating, times for getting in touch with others, and anything else you’d like to add. The more you stick to a routine, the less shaken you’ll feel.
Follow Anger Management Practices
Chances are you feel a bit of anger from this pandemic. If you had to cancel plans, got let go from a job, or experienced any other unfortunate scenario, then there’s more than likely anger somewhere inside you. Pro-tip: it’s okay to feel that anger. You don’t have to tamp it down; you just have to figure out the best way to manage it. Most importantly, you have to find the best ways to communicate your anger, and there are a few ways to do that. Begin by understanding the core emotion, and then go from there.
Find Ways to Connect (That Don’t Overwhelm)
Digital connection is your friend right now, but make sure not to overdo it. Yes, reach out and call, text, or video chat friends and loved ones. But no, don’t spend your time pouring over Instagram, Facebook, other social media sites, and news sites. There’s a fine line between using technology to maintain connection and letting it overwhelm the senses.
Start Meditating
For years, people have used meditation as a way to deal with stress and tension. Even if you’ve never meditated before, now is a great time to start. Download a meditation app and get started; you can meditate before bed, right away in the morning, or throughout the day. Either way, it will help you handle those moments where your anxiety skyrockets and you want to return to a more placid demeanor.
Go on a Daily Walk
Daily movement will be your best friend through this time. Even if you can’t exactly get out of the house, you can still make time and space for some sort of movement. Yoga is a great option for calming at-home movement. Walks will help you get that fresh air your body has been craving, get your heart rate up, and help you recognize and remember that the world is still turning, the birds are still chirping, and things will get better.
