Staying Calm in Anxious Times

Emotions are muddled and anxiety is running high these days everywhere in the world. The unfortunate reality is, COVID-19 has taken over most of our lives and the constant barrage of news, panic buying and in many cases, isolation is not doing our mental wellness any good. In fact, all we’ve been doing is lying on our yoga mats and try and not to stress eat and spiral out of control.

While we’re all under lockdown, official or otherwise, here are some things you can do to ease your crisis anxiety and give your mind a sense of calm.

CONNECT WITH YOUR BREATH

You don’t have to be a regular at meditation to connect with your breath. There are a lot of guided meditation sequences and breathing exercises that can help calm your nervous system and shift it from the sympathetic nervous system where your body is geared up for flight or fight to the parasympathetic nervous system, or rest and digest. If you own an Apple Watch, the Calm app has great guided meditations — even a walking one so you can take a walk outside and connect with your breath. YeahDave also has calming podcasts that you can listen to.

SLEEP BETTER

Get disciplined about preparing for your sleep. Don’t consume news, or horror stories before bed. Limit your exposure to blue light, and instead, pick up a book and read. When was the last time you did that?

FEEL YOUR FEELINGS, AND WRITE THEM DOWN

Instead of getting caught up in the stories in your head, it’s important to feel all the emotions you’re going through — all the sadness, anger and fear. Write them down. This way you will allow them to release, instead of have them build up inside you, causing even more anxiety. Having an outlet, like writing, means you get to acknowledge that these feelings are valid instead of denying it all.

LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE TO NEWS

There is a lot of mass hysteria, fake news and even real news and accounts that are not going to help your anxiety levels. Stick to reading once a day if you must, and only information relevant to you. Do you really need to know what is happening on a cruise ship you aren’t on?

GET ON YOUR YOGA MAT

This goes without saying, of course. Anchor you in the here and now by moving with your breath through an asana practice. This takes you out of your head and your worries.

Stay safe and healthy 😊