9 Ways To Deal With Fear, Anxiety, Worry About Life And Job During Lockdown

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The current pandemic and crisis have brought up a lot of fears and anxiety among the people around the globe. The change in routine, pattern, work system, etc—the ongoing outbreak of Coronavirus has started to become a brutal psychological test for many. We are worried about life, finances, job, health, running a family and so much more.

While the lockdown, work from home might look easy to many, things are just getting tough around. There is fear, anxiety, worry and so many more emotions building among many of us. But how do you deal with it? How do you make sure your mental peace and physical health don't take a toll? How do you make sure everything is good around you?

To break all these complexities in easy understanding, Entrepreneur India spoke to Tiesta Duggal, internationally certified workshop leader and life coach.

Talking about the rationale, Duggal said, “All of us are so hard-wired to follow certain set patterns that this change and uncertainty is bringing up a lot of insecurity, leading to anxiety.”

Many are going through this, and here are nine ways suggested by the expert that can help us deal with the anxiety and fears knocking our door now and then.

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Tell Yourself That This Is Not Permanent

While problems and crises arrive in our lives, we must also remember that we have had our share of good, just as much as the bad ones.

“Everything in life goes in a cycle, so while there are ups and downs, none of this is permanent. It will eventually fade out with life returning to normal. Keep telling yourself this, it brings hope and a sense of long-term security,” she suggests.

Practice Breathing And Meditation

Deep breathing and meditation help release positive hormones into our bloodstream, which has a very soothing and calming effect on our brain and body.

“Follow these practices every day. Now is the right time it will help you in keeping calm and focusing and balance work and personal life,” she said.

Staying Away From Unnecessary Information

The limitation is the key, but only if we could understand the basics.

“While it is good to be updated on what’s happening and take precautions accordingly, engaging too much in reading about disturbing news and growing cases of COVID-19, has a very strong impact on the psychology of a person. It brings up all the stored traumas in the subconscious mind, leading to more anxiety and fear,” she said.

So the advice simply says limit and restrict your time spent on this information and avoiding its impact too much on your mental health.

Journaling

A lot of people in this time of pandemic do not have access to family and friends. Many are far away and in such crucial times fears anxiety take the lead.

“During this time it is highly recommended to vent them out and if one cannot speak to someone, they can most definitely start writing and release those stored-suppressed emotions. This would help a person feel better, calmer and less anxious,” suggests Duggal.

Doing Positive Affirmations

Affirmations are positive statements which when consciously repeated, help re-programme the subconscious mind. They help in replacing fear with faith and also release anxiety.

Duggal gives an example that you can follow every day: “My body and my mind are in a healthy state at all times, my immunity is increasing and I am protected and safe at all times.”

Try saying this to yourself every day. It's like chanting. This would help you release the fear and start feeling good about your mind and body.

Practicing Gratitude

Similar to deep breathing gratitude helps release serotonin (called a happy chemical, it contributes to wellbeing and happiness) into the bloodstream. This instantly elevating a person’s state of mind and helping them release their fears and worries.

“Feel grateful for your house, body, food, family and remind yourself of how significant these things are but we forget their essence and importance in our daily grinds. Remembering these and feeling grateful would also help one switch their focus from the sorry state to a pleasant state of mind,” she explains.

Exercise and Eating Right

While one does not have access to gyms and fitness classes, one could always follow DIY work out at home. Do yoga, breathing techniques, and online fitness classes.

“Doing these activities not keeps your body in shape but also releases the toxins from the body. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and release all the stored energy in the body. When it comes to eating includes more greens, water-based fruits, and food items as it keeps your mind and body balanced, active and healthy,” she said.

Use This Time To Visualize And Create The Future

We all are worried about millions of things at the moment. The next salary, taking care of our loved ones, paying next EMI, relationships, equations and stability. But this is the time when you can visualize and think about building a future.

“Create a foundation of what you would like to create once the pandemic gets over. Visualization helps one get clarity. It also helps in actualizing desired dreams and reality. According to Abraham Hicks, “Visualizing something for 17 seconds is equivalent to putting 20 hours of work.”

“So now is a wonderful time to envision your dream goals, life and as one does that their focus would shift from the fear, pain to what possibilities can be created helping one feel a sense of hope and positivity," she explains.

Keeping A Clean and Positive Environment

A clean home and surroundings instantaneously help one feel elevated and uplift the mood. Also, cleaning helps a person feel a sense of accomplishment and diverts the focus from what a person is feeling.

“Additionally, try to have bright colors around, play light and listen to uplifting music. This would help enhance the environment and make you cheerful and relaxed,” she said.

Please Note: These are a few techniques that help you in dealing with fear and anxiety. But if you feel the emotions are building up and too much to handle. It is advisable to talk to someone or seek professional help. There is no harm in accepting that emotions are taking charge of you and assistance is needed to manage it. As important it to deal with physical ailments, mental and emotional health are as vital. Its wellbeing has a direct impact on your body.