Is COVID-19 making your anxiety and depression harder to manage? You’re not alone. Here are some ways to cope when you’re living with anxiety and depression.
Around 40 million people in the U.S. struggle with anxiety on a daily basis. Now, as COVID-19 continues to affect the entire world, many are having an even worse time managing their depression and anxiety.
If your anxiety is becoming even harder to deal with due to COVID-19, you’re not alone. However, there are things you can do to cope with it and put yourself in a better frame of mind.
Read on for our top 7 ways to cope when you’re living with anxiety and depression.
1. Prioritize Self Care
One of the most important things to remember when living with anxiety and depression is this: remember to take care of yourself. This includes getting a good night’s sleep, maintaining a diet of whole, unprocessed foods, and keeping up healthy hygiene practices. This is especially important when coping with the stress of COVID-19 and sheltering in place.
You should also make sure you’re getting a good amount of exercise: take a walk, go for a jog, lift some weights, or go for a bike ride to stay in shape while you’re in lockdown. If you’re not in the mood to go outside, look for exercise videos online and do your workouts at home. Exercising creates feel-good endorphins that can really boost your mood when you’re living with anxiety and depression.
In addition to taking care of your physical wellbeing, there are also things you can do to take care of your mental health as well. For example, try meditation for fear and anxiety to help ease your mind and put you in a more conscious and relaxed state. Maybe you can try speed running your favorite video game, drink some cannabis infused wine, or if all else fails, why not ramp up your sex life with the misses or – if you’re single – masturbate (Be sure you don’t get caught though… follow our “handy” guide, and you’ll always be in the clear)
2. Clean Your Home
When you’re living with anxiety and depression, your physical environment plays a more important role than you may realize. If you’re surrounded by dirt, unwashed dishes, and other clutter around the house, this can put a lot of unnecessary stress on you and lead to even more anxiety.
Make sure you’re setting aside time to clean your home and keep up with your chores. If you’re in need of a deep clean, breaking up the project into segments can help things feel a lot less overwhelming. Plus, cleaning will keep your mind occupied and give you a sense of accomplishment when you’re finished.
Here’s another tip for starting your day off right: always make your bed in the morning. It will give you a small sense of pride and encourage you to keep the rest of your house clean, too. Don’t believe us about making your bed… This Navy Seal Admiral will tell you why.
3. Take a Break from the Media
These days, every main stream media outlet is cluttered with nonstop COVID-19 updates. Fake news is rampant and new social media monitoring AI filters everything that gets shoveled down your throat. Its nearly impossible to decipher what is genuine and what is politically motivated pandering. With an upcoming presidential election on the line, stakes are high and each side is in it to win it. While it’s good to stay informed, consuming too much of mainstream news can riddle you with lots of undue anxiety about health and the general state of things (especially when you’re already living with anxiety and depression).
If you find yourself glued to the news constantly, it might be best to take a break from it and disconnect for a while. If anything of exceptional importance happens, you’ll be sure to hear about it regardless.
4. Find a New Project or Hobby
If you’re living with anxiety and depression, you know that things get worse if you let your mind fixate on it too much. That’s why it’s helpful to find something else to focus on, such as a new hobby or a project around the house.
Try taking on a new creative endeavor, such as writing, drawing, painting, or playing an instrument. This will help boost your mood and take your mind off of all the fear and uncertainty of COVID-19, at least for a little while. Plus, you might end up with a finished product that you really love.
If you’re not one for artsy projects, there are plenty of other project ideas to keep yourself occupied. For instance, you can work on home improvement projects or take on those repairs you’ve been putting off. In the end, it will leave you with a better sense of pride and accomplishment.
5. Try Natural Supplements
If you’re having issues with anxiety and depression, taking natural supplements can help improve your stress levels and overall wellbeing. Specifically, Vitamins B and D, as well as Omega-3s, have all been shown to aid in boosting your mood.
There are also helpful herbs to choose from, such as lavender, Valerian root, and St. John’s Wort, all of which have been linked to reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Another thing to consider taking is legal CBD supplements, such as oils, capsules, and tinctures. This is an extract from the cannabis plant that won’t get you high (unlike THC), but could potentially ease your symptoms if you’re living with anxiety and depression. In fact, many users have reported significant mood-boosting benefits that ease anxiety symptoms when using CBD.
6. Don’t Fixate on What You Can’t Control
In these uncertain times, it can certainly be frustrating watching everything happen while having little to do about it. However, it’s important to accept what you can’t control and shift your focus to things you can control.
For example, you can’t control the new COVID-19 cases that are coming up every day, but you can control what you about it, such as washing your hands, or protesting if you feel your civil liberties have been trampled on. It might not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but you’re doing more than you think.
7. Seek Support When Living With Anxiety and Depression
Living with Anxiety and Depression isn’t something you should go through alone. While you may not be able to see your loved ones due to the concerns of COVID-19, don’t hesitate to reach out to them in other ways, such as phone calls, texting, or online messaging. Even if they can’t physically be there with you, you can still find comfort and support when you need it.
If you need further support, you should consider seeking out a therapist over the phone or online. Don’t forget that you’re not alone and you don’t have to go through this alone.
Coping With Anxiety and Depression During COVID-19
In these looney times, the most important thing to do is take care of yourself as best you can. If you’re living with anxiety and depression that’s getting worse due to COVID-19, know that you’re not alone. However, with the right routine and mindset, managing the day-to-day will be less of a struggle overall.
For more advice, check out our other blog entries.