5 Steps to Free Yourself from Anxiety and Embrace Joy

We are in unprecedented times. The triple whammy of Covid, economic instability and protests have shaken us all in the past six months.

Anxiety levels have risen as our day to day lives becomes unclear and unpredictable. The constancy and familiarity we thought we have has been erased. We are confronted with fears of things we cannot know like when the pandemic ends, how far off vaccine is and how long it will take to distribute to the billions of people in need. Also, we wonder when our economy will revive, and when will our friends and neighbors go back to work at restaurants and cafes.

The place we have influence and sway is how we handle our anxiety and create a sense of wellbeing and calm. By doing the following five things you can have an impact on your daily life and a way to manage some of the anxiety we are all dealing with.

1.     Do something physical each day. That does not have to be running five miles or extreme workouts.  It can be as simple as doing stretching and yoga poses for fifteen minutes. Going out and walking in your neighborhood is a great way to get fresh air and being closer to the natural world. Take your dog or a socially distant friend along and make it a shared experience. Along the way stop and admire a neighbor’s yard.

2.     Create a gratitude list. Start your day by writing a list of all the things that you are grateful for in your life. They can be as simple as good health, being employed and having a friend to call when you are distressed.

3.     Stay connected with friends or family. Make sure to have regular contact with friends or family. Spending time with them on a zoom call or FaceTime is a great way to check in and know you are not alone. Sharing with someone who cares about you what is going on in your life and knowing others have similar struggles can be a comfort, as well as sharing some of your coping strategies and hearing theirs can be useful.

4.     Hopes for the future. Make a list of the things you are looking forward to doing once the pandemic is behind us. It could be the places you want to travel and see. Or possibly visiting relatives or friends that live far away from you. Looking to the future and being hopeful about this being behind us can lift your spirits.

5.     Write down what you are afraid of. Anxiety is about fears we have that are non-specific. It can be helpful to write down what you are afraid of. What do you fear will happen? Then reflect are those things likely to happen. Most often the things we fear most never do happen. Maybe focus on the things you can do something about like making sure you are taking care of yourself and those close to you so that you stay healthy. Make the list, review it and then put away. You can pull it out weekly and see how you are doing. Cross out the ones that have faded from concern and feel good about that.

And finally take things, as they say in AA, “one day at a time.” Life can be overwhelming when we see all the challenges in life happening at once. Face today using these suggestions and things will seem a bit more manageable.