It may seem surreal, like a lifetime ago now, but think back to your New Year celebrations. Remember the high hopes we had moving into the second decade of the Millenium? 

Who would’ve thought that midway through the year that so many of us would be exhausted, grieving, and on edge?

Who would’ve thought something called COVID-19 would change our lives and impact our emotions, outlooks, and relationships so profoundly? 

And, where do we go from here?

At times like this, it is important to remember that depression, anxiety, and fear are common. This situation is jarring and the transitions we’ve been asked to make and digest take time. 

So, as we walk this out together, we must find ways to cope. What does healthy coping look like? Let’s see:

Key Ways to Cope with COVID-induced Depression, Anxiety and Fear

Deal with Grief

Loss can knock you back and the resulting shock, sadness, negativity, can keep you down if you don't process your grief. You may find now that the losses attributed to the pandemic are social, financial, and/or relational. Or maybe nothing much has changed in those areas but you feel a decided loss of peace and freedom. 

It's okay to grieve all of those things, whatever your experience. 

In fact, it does very little good not to process them. Holding onto to pre-COVID life, interaction, and expectations without accepting your emotions will only exacerbate the pain. Allow space to acknowledge your right to feel sad, rather than bury or avoid it.

Finding ways to accept, share, and work through the stages of grief are often helpful for alleviating sorrow and feelings of powerlessness. Discovering meaning and new directions help resolve unhelpful tendencies to worry and fear the future. Consider connection with a therapist to start productively working through loss.

Notice Your Thoughts

Learning to mindfully observe your thoughts without loads of self-defeating negativity and self-criticism is key right now. Your thoughts may be fostering an unhealthy link between who you are and the realities of the pandemic. Getting a handle on your mental state during these unprecedented times will require a lot of self-compassion and reframing of your self-perception. In other words, this is the time to give yourself a break. Allow your mind to catch up and create a new set of goals and priorities if necessary. 

The goal is to productively support thinking that

• supports awareness, 

• improves your ability to deal with uncertainty,

• helps you stay in the present moment,

• and develops communication strategies to ease the burden on your personal relationships.

Consider journaling, mindful meditation and observance, and sharing with trusted people. Perspective, encouragement, and guidance are vital to helping you challenge unhelpful or depressive thinking. Noticing the way you think self-compassionately can help you resist the urge to withdraw and control others to feel safe. Instead, you may feel empowered and more able to self-soothe. 

Release Tension In Your Body

When life takes an alarming turn, we react. Fight, flight, or freeze responses kick in. Both our minds and our bodies respond. And then we calm down and life goes on. Or at least that's the plan. 

But sometimes we stay in an anxious state too long. The imminent danger passes, yet we get stuck in high alert and the tension in our bodies stays high. So high that it hurts.  Our backs hurt, our heads ache, our stomachs churn, and our teeth grind.

So the pandemic situation is tricky. A certain amount of danger remains until more medical solutions are found and more people cooperate with the current guidelines. We necessarily need to be vigilant However, we do not need to live in perpetual discomfort.

Working with a therapist is an ideal way to relieve your body of COVID-related stress. This is particularly important if you find your coping methods tend to be unhelpful or unproductive. With help, you can learn techniques that teach you to pay attention to your breath, use visualization, and relax your muscles. Maintaining healthy physical self-care routines that emphasize nutrition, hydration, proper exercise and circulation will help, too. Altogether, these will foster mental health, emotional insight, and cognitive clarity.

Reach Out 

We all need to find a healthy balance that keeps us safely adjusted to the current situation without damaging or jeopardizing our physical health and personal connections. Yet, while it's true we are all in the same coronavirus boat, your response to the strain is unique to you. Thus, it makes sense that you would allow yourself time with a seasoned guide to help you along the way. You deserve a break from the heaviness of depression or the high tension of anxiety. 

I am available to offer teletherapy sessions during the pandemic. Please read more about depression therapy and anxiety treatment. Health, happiness, and wholeness are not out of reach. Even in the time of COVID-19. Therapy can help you find your way there. Please reach out for an initial consultation.