Coronavirus Anxiety 101: Worry, Fear, and How Not to Panic
Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:
- Coronavirus Anxiety 101: Worry, Fear, and How Not to Panic
- Why Are People So Anxious about Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
- How to Deal with Coronavirus Anxiety?
- From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
- Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
- Mental Health Quote
Coronavirus Anxiety 101: Worry, Fear, and How Not to Panic
The newest form of coronavirus, COVID-19, is causing a pandemic of fear to spread across the globe. There’s even a name for the fear: coronavirus anxiety. Here’s what you need to know to remain healthy, both mentally and physically.
Why Are People So Anxious about Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Two types of anxiety are at work around COVID-19: health anxiety and fear of the unknown. These are common forms of anxiety that, when they occur together, can be debilitating and cause panic.
Health anxiety involves excessive fear, worries, and what-ifs about illness that consume time and attention. The more someone thinks about health-related anxieties, the more stuck in these fears they become. In the case of coronavirus, it has become hard to think of other things. Everywhere we turn, we hear reports (some factual and some fear-based rumor) that people are getting sick and dying.
These emotional reports are fueling fear of the unknown. This is a new strain of coronavirus (a coronavirus is simply a type of virus, responsible for strains of the common cold and more serious illnesses such as SARS). Because it’s new, doctors and scientists don’t know everything about it. Anxiety loves to step in with anything unknown and fill in the blanks with assumptions rather than fact. When left unchecked, they consume us.
How to Deal with Coronavirus Anxiety?
Reduce coronavirus anxiety and stay well with these tips:
- Keep your perspective. Rumors that society is shutting down because of coronavirus are just that—fear-based speculation. Remember that this gossip is fueled by health anxiety and fear of the unknown, and let your own knowledge override the rumors you hear.
- Do what you always do to stay healthy. Wash your hands often. Keep surfaces clean. Stay away from crowds when you can. Drink plenty of water and eat nutritious foods to boost your immune system.
- Don’t let empty store shelves fuel your own fear. People are panicking because of exaggerated news reports (see Anxiety About the World Via the News: Reclaim Your Peace), social media posts, and uninformed buzz. Use bleach, vinegar, baking soda, and other basic supplies you likely already have at home to sanitize like you do in any cold and flu season.
The COVID-19 threat is something to be taken seriously, but when you remember that the panic is fueled by fear of the unknown and health anxiety, you can pause, regain your perspective, and do what is in your control to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy.
Related Articles Dealing with Coronavirus, Health Anxiety, and Fear of the Unknown
- Coronavirus Anxiety: 6 Things You Can Do Now to Stay Calm
- Anxiety Over a Loved-One’s Health: Dos and Don’ts
- Overcome Anxiety and Fear of the Unknown (video)
- Fear Change? 7 Ways to Quiet Anxiety of the Unknown
- Anxiety Causes: What Causes Anxiety?
- What is a Panic Attack?
Your Thoughts
Today's Question: What are you doing to maintain your own mental- and physical health in the face of COVID-19? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page.
From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.
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- Anxiety and Perfectionism: It's Okay to be Imperfect
- Mental Illness Is Not Your Entire Identity
- Use Your Personality Traits to Benefit Mental Health
- Addiction and Trauma: Why Sobriety Is Saving My Life
- Schizoaffective Disorder and Dieting Due to Antipsychotics
- Why Do People Self-Harm Even When They're Happy?
- Use These 3 Powerful Strategies to Beat Anxiety Long-Term
- How Does Borderline Personality Disorder Impact Relationships?
- Why Yoga Is Part of My Eating Disorder Recovery
- The Anxieties of Surviving a Catastrophe
Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.
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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:
- The Importance of Being Alone While Anxious
- Fiction Can Combat Mental Health Stigma
- Anticipating Bipolar Moods -- The Bipolar Weather Report
If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.
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Mental Health Quote
"Scars tell where we have been. They do not dictate where we’re going."
Read more abuse quotes.
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APA Reference
Peterson, T.
(2020, March 10). Coronavirus Anxiety 101: Worry, Fear, and How Not to Panic , HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, August 31 from https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/mental-health-newsletter/coronavirus-anxiety-101-worry-fear-and-how-not-to-panic