What first started as an outbreak in Wuhan, China, soon spread all around the world, leaving only a small number of counties unaffected by the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. This new and dangerous virus has affected thousands of people, primarily in China, Italy, Iran, Spain, etc. and has left people worldwide in fear for their lives. 

Coronavirus and anxiety

Panic, anxiety, and fear have become a part of our lives, as researchers are still trying to find an answer as to how we will beat this new virus. It seems that apart from harming our physical health, the coronavirus is also affecting our mental health causing anxiety day after day. Build-up anxiety causes nothing but negative effects and making this situation even worse.  The anxiety and panic that coronavirus has led to are making people turn against each other, fighting in supermarkets as they are trying to prepare for self-isolation, buying groceries, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer in bulk. But it certainly does not have to be this way – surely we can do something to relieve our anxiety from the comfort of our home while we are acting responsibly and preventing this virus from spreading even further. In the following, we will share some quite effective methods that you can use to lower your anxiety and stress levels, improve your mental health, and with that – your overall health as well.
Male psychologist making notes during psychological therapy
1- Seek professional help if needed – If you are feeling like you cannot fight against your anxiety alone, you do not have to! Try some of the online counseling programs and get some help while staying home and staying safe. 2 - Get adequate sleep – Although this might seem like an impossible thing to do since we all know the negative impact that anxiety can have on our sleep, causing sleep disturbances and insomnia, try your best to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Maybe you can try reading a good book before bed, listening to some calming music or even white noise, or have a nice hot shower that will relax your body before going to bed. 3 - Eat well – Now is not the time to fall in the hands of empty calories, added sugars, and junk food. Make the effort to cook a well-balanced meal each day that you and your whole family could enjoy. Get some fresh fruits and veggies in between your meals and drink enough water to keep you hydrated.  4 - Limit your screen time – Nothing will harm your mental health as too much screen time, especially at times like these when social media can only add to your already existing panic about the current situation. Use technology to learn a new language, watch a movie, and contact your loved ones but limit the time that you spend on different social media and reading false news. 5 - Stay active – Maybe you are unable to visit the gym, but that is no excuse to be lazy and stay on the couch all day long. Instead, we encourage you to peruse the quite effective anxiety and stress management technique – regular physical activity, but from the comfort of your home, that is. Search online for workouts that you can do at home with little or no equipment and aim for at least 30 minutes of low to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.  6 - Keep your mind distracted – To prevent yourself from engaging in hours and hours reading or listening about the current crises, not that it is not important to get informed, because it is, find ways to distract your mind. Revisit an old hobby, read a book, watch a TV show that you always wanted to watch but never had the time to do so, play some board games – whatever it is that can keep you distracted, lowering your anxiety efficiently. 7 - Try meditation – Maybe you always wanted to try meditation – well now is the best time to do so. Since meditation is a scientifically-proven method designed to relieve anxiety and stress, we highly encourage you to start your day with a quick meditation session.  Also if you are a therapist, psychologist, or promote well-being, then sign up to RateUsOnline for free and improve your online visibility to attract more clients. RateUsOnline rewards businesses for great reviews, by featuring these services in RateUsOnline's daily business-related articles, on RateUsOnline's homepage, and on RateUsOnline's social media pages. For more information please contact us at info@rateusonline.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4E2JzmIraw