Many leaders I am speaking to are starting to show signs of coronavirus anxiety . Yet, as leaders, it is critical that a calm confident state is maintained.
Why is Coronavirus causing anxiety?
Anxiety caused by the coronavirus is not down to one single factor. As a generation, this is the first time we are having to deal with something of this scale so it’s only natural that it’s going to lead to a rise in the number of us feeling anxious. There are a number of factors contributing to this feeling of anxiety: we are currently facing medical uncertainty and questions surrounding treatment: the impact to business is severe and we are unsure how we will pay the wages: we are unsure when it will end and while we look to leaders for answers it’s often difficult for us to fully understand what we should be doing when we are faced with mixed views and opinions.
The majority of us are having to adapt our everyday routine, which as creatures of habit, does not come easily to us. However, it’s important now more than ever, that we think about our mental health and help ourselves and those around us to stay calm.
Here are some tips on how to protect our mental health:
1. Exercise outdoors
It’s important that we still make time for ourselves and have some time out – exercise is a great place to start and even better if we can do it outside in the fresh air
2. Breathe
Breathing techniques can quickly and effectively reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety. The most common breathing techniques are calm breathing, slow deep breathing, belly breathing and alternate nostril breathing.
3. Journal
If you’re working from home, journaling and practicing mindfulness each day is a great tool to identify stress, gather your thoughts, and calm your anxiety.
4. Have a routine
It’s easy for us to feel anxious when our day to day is disturbed. Setting yourself a daily routine, incorporating time to exercise, meditate and do yoga is important.
5. Limit news consumption
Have two to three trusted sources that you check only a couple of times a day helps to avoid reading fake news articles and opinions that aren’t factual. If social media is causing you anxiety, limit the time you spend on this too.
