Coronavirus Anxiety: Coping with Stress, Fear, and Worry In Uncertain Times

Think for a moment — how much of your waking time do you spend living in the future?

Thinking about what's next in our lives and making plans to create a better future can offer hope and motivation — but when nothing at all seems to be certain any more, it can also create a whole heap of stress that we're just not able to cope with. 

Uncertainty: The foundation of all stress?

Stress — we've all heard the word before, and we've all experienced it, but the term wasn't used until a fairly recent 1936, and there's no universal definition of what "stress" means. Most medical and psychological professionals would say that any physical or emotional tension qualifies as stress. 

One research paper holds that uncertainty lies at the very core of stress. Those plans you make? Their odds for success depend on having at least a vague idea of what you can expect next — tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. Even grim acts like making wills and purchasing funeral insurance involve an act of faith in the certainty of the future; in this case, faith in the ideas that someone will be there to execute that will and to get you the funeral you planned. 

Worry — which safety and security expert Gavin de Becker called "the fear you manufacture" — is a type of stress that emerges when we don't have any idea what's going on or what's going to happen next. As a result of worry, we ruminate. We spend our energy dissecting worst-case scenarios. 

Common sources of uncertainty-based stress in the era of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread stress, fear, worry, and anxiety. The problem of pandemic-related stress has caused organizations like the WHO and CDC to publish their own resources to help people cope in this uncertain situation.

This increased awareness of mental health and the need to nurture it is certainly welcome. Before we can face our fears and worries or develop healthy coping mechanisms, however, it can sometimes help to acknowledge that denial (also called avoidance) is one of our most commonly used (unsuccessful!) defensive mechanisms against stress.

Denial can manifest as pretending what we're worried about isn't happening, distracting ourselves to avoid thinking about it, spending a lot of time worrying about something more manageable (like what's for dinner tomorrow), and probably in many other ways. 

So, let's look the worry monster square in the face.

The CDC words your possible worries like this: "Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones, your financial situation or job, or loss of support services you rely on."

• Will I get COVID-19 and die? Will my children, partner, or parents die? If I die, who will look after my partner, parents, or children?
• I am risking my life any time I go out. It's basically Russian roulette COVID-19 edition, but I have to go out anyway, to work or to the shop. There isn't even a question here; only the giant uncertainty of knowing that I could fall victim to the coronavirus and spread it to my loved ones every time leave my home.
• Will I lose my job? (As a consequence, will I lose my house, be homeless, and starve, alongside some of my loved ones?) Or if you have already lost your job — will I get another job in time for disaster not to strike, and will it pay enough to meet my basic needs? (The rest of the resulting worries circle back to the previous round.)
• Will I never see loved ones who live in other countries or parts of the country again?
• If I get COVID-19 and survive, will I live with disabling side effects for the rest of my life?
• Will the whole world turn into something resembling the Walking Dead universe? 

If you are willing to be honest with yourself about your worries, they will become just slightly less scary — because you'll at least know what you are afraid of. 

Practical tips: How DO you cope with stress, fear, and worry during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Not every stress coping technique will work for every person. The best, evidence-based, ways to deal with stress — from stress inoculation training to mindfulness meditation — all have something in common, though. That is, these productive ways to cope with worry, fear, and anxiety encourage acknowledging your feelings and tackling them head-on. 

To nurture your mental health during times of stress and the kind of uncertainty you may not be able to manage or control, you can:

• As one study put it, "spend less time worrying about what might come, and instead to focus on life in the present". That can start by enjoying what is good in your life right now. No matter what happens tomorrow, nobody can take that way.
• Take practical steps to prepare for a better future — whether that means a faster internet connection for easier work-at-home situations, applying for new jobs, returning to (online) college, or taking a hardcore survivalist prepping course, for you personally. This can help you gain a sense of control, as well as potentially laying actual foundations for tomorrow.
• Think about what kind of person you want to be. Before you allow yourself to be carried away by unhealthy coping mechanisms, ask yourself what really matters to you, including personality traits and moral values. This exercise can help you avoid the tendency to take stress out on others, or on yourself through actions like self-harm or substance abuse.
• Ask for support from the people you love, and at the same time see how you can help them. Humans thrive when we know that we're part of something bigger than ourselves. 

These simple foundations matter more than whether you choose specific breathing exercises or meditation programs to help you ground yourself or relieve stress. 

Physically, meanwhile, we all still need:

• Restful sleep — so practice good sleep hygiene by going to bed at the same time each day, having a relaxing bedroom environment, and avoiding stressful news in the time before bed. 
• A healthy, nutritious diet — try to hit the essential vitamins and minerals.
• Physical movement —  to keep your body fit and your mood lifted.
• A break from physical and mental labor — whatever that means for you. Make time to do nothing but relax, and that includes switching off from worries. 

With time, we can learn to get used to the uncertainty that faces us. We can adapt, and become psychologically resilient people who can weather nearly any storm.