This content is sponsored by聽.
With the COVID-19 pandemic dominating the news cycle around the world, it鈥檚 absolutely expected for people to feel fearful and anxious. But just know, you鈥檙e not alone.
鈥淔ear and anxiety breed uncertainty, and that uncertainty tends to be most intense in the earliest phase of any crisis,鈥� said Dr. , chair of psychiatry at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. 鈥淎s COVID-19 spreads across the country, we see the same concerns: fear of infection and of spreading the disease, and the stress of not knowing if you鈥檝e been exposed.鈥�
With news that the U.S. has surpassed China in known COVID-19 cases, the current situation can feel overwhelming. But despite a long history of dealing with unfamiliar diseases 鈥� from the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic to the 2002 SARS outbreak 鈥� people are resilient, Dr. Ritchie said.
If resilience feels far away for you, that鈥檚 OK. If you need help managing your mental health during this pandemic, Dr. Ritchie has these tips:
- Take a deep breath.
- Focus on what you can control.
- Participate in activities that make you happy.
- Stay in touch with your loved ones.
- Try to disconnect from social media and the news for a bit.
- Help others.
- Do what you can. It鈥檚 OK to not have all the answers.
(1) Take a deep breath.
Breathe deeply, 10 times, through the nose, Dr. Ritchie said. She recommends doing this daily, as part of a routine and also whenever you feel your anxiety levels start to rise.
鈥淒eep breathing can calm you and give your brain time to pause, reset and slow down,鈥� Dr. Ritchie said.
(2) Focus on what you can control.
鈥淎nxiety often results when you feel you鈥檙e losing control,鈥� Dr. Ritchie said. 鈥淲hen events are bigger than us and changing rapidly, it鈥檚 easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless.鈥�
Instead of focusing on what you can鈥檛 control, think about things you can do right now. What鈥檚 your outlook for today? Or even just over the next few hours?
鈥淪ome of those answers are clearly laid out: maintain social distance, limit travel, wash your hands often 鈥� all guidelines we have been following,鈥� Dr. Ritchie said.
If you have children, short-term planning is especially important. And though it鈥檚 healthy to plan for the day, flexibility is key, as it鈥檚 possible for a schedule to get knocked off-track, Dr. Ritchie added.
(3) Participate in activities that make you happy.
Now that you鈥檙e home more, what are some hobbies or skills you can build up that bring you joy? Maybe you can tend to a garden or indoor plants, dust off that guitar in your closet and learn a new song, or learn how to do that still-life painting you鈥檝e always wanted to do.
(4) Stay in touch with your loved ones.
鈥淩emember that distancing doesn鈥檛 mean isolation. We are going through this with technology that makes staying connected easier than ever,鈥� Dr. Ritchie said.
Whether by phone, email or social media, reach out to your loved ones and check in on them, too.
(5) Try to disconnect from social media and the news for a bit.
“In the evenings after answering COVID-19 emails for 30 minutes, I spend 30 minutes reading,鈥� Dr. Ritchie said. 鈥淭hen, I go to bed early. Turning off the barrage of information can be good for your mental health.鈥�
(6) Help others.
鈥淐aring about others is a very effective way to care for yourself,鈥� Dr. Ritchie said.
And it may even help improve your own outlook. Help your kids out with their schoolwork, check in on elderly neighbors and, if you鈥檙e able to, look into volunteering around your area.
(7) Do what you can. It鈥檚 OK to not have all the answers.
Officials around the world continue to learn more about the new coronavirus pandemic. So if they don鈥檛 have all the answers, it鈥檚 OK for you to not have all the answers either.
鈥淒o what you can, right now,鈥� Dr. Ritchie said. 鈥淲e are all leaders. So we must act like leaders, with a mission and a sense of purpose. That will empower you and those around you to stay calm and focused.鈥�
For more information on COVID-19, please visit
