Exploring Counseling Sessions For Parents
4 Tips For Handling Your Anxiety During The COVID-19 Crisis
Rebecca Pena
As the COVID-19 health crisis unfolds, there seem to be new updates and breaking news every few hours to keep up with. In many states, more restrictions on movements are put in place every day, and many Americans are staying in their homes. This can be a challenging time for anyone who has anxiety. If you suffer from anxiety, here are four tips to help you get through this challenging time.
Tip #1: Give Yourself Time Off From the News
If the news has been triggering your anxiety, it is okay to give yourself time off from it. You already know the most important information: to wash your hands and to keep your distance from others. You don't have to check the news every hour in order to stay informed.
Give yourself a couple of days' break from the news or limit the time you look at the news to ten minutes in the morning and evening. Limiting or taking a break from the news altogether right now is okay. You already know what to do, and you need to protect your mental health as well as your physical health.
Tip #2: Acknowledge Your Feelings
Second, take the time to acknowledge your feelings. You can say your feelings aloud or share them with a friend. You can tweet them out, or you can write them in a journal.
Just make sure that you don't keep all your thoughts in your head; acknowledge the feelings that you have around what is happening in the world. This can help you deal with your anxiety.
Tip #3: Think About What You Control
Third, during this time, it is important to think about what you control. You control how often you wash your hands; you control your ability to stay at home; you control your ability to stay away from other people.
You don't necessarily control if you will get sick, but you can control your actions, which can help you control your fears.
Tip #4: Focus on Your Breathing
When you feel anxiety taking you over, you need to focus on your breathing. If deep breathing is not doing it for you, try breathing in rhythm to a common nursery rhyme like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
Breathing in time with something that you know can help your mind focus both on the nursery rhyme as well as breathing, which will take your mind off the anxiety you are feeling.
If you suffer from anxiety during the COVID-19 health crisis, give yourself permission to turn the news off. Remember, it is okay to acknowledge your feelings and think about what is within your control. When you have an attack, breathe in time to a nursery rhyme; this will give your mind something to focus on and help you get in control. For more help and information, contact an anxiety counseling service like Lehigh Valley Counselors.
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Hey everyone, my name is Lori Grffin. When my son was born, I was completely unprepared for the difficulties of raising a sensory deprived child. The stress of trying to parent a difficult child definitely takes its toll. Eventually, I had a nervous breakdown and ended up enrolling in individual counseling sessions. The counseling appointments helped me work through the emotions generated while coping with fits and meltdowns from my son. I emerged from each session better prepared to provide my son with the support he needed. I also learned how to pay attention to how I was feeling during the process. I created this site because I want to share the benefits parents receive from going to counseling sessions. Thank you.