How to stay calm during the Coronavirus outbreak.
- Are you worrying about Coronavirus?
- Do you worry about getting ill?
- Are you stressed about a relative’s health?
Health is the most important thing in anyone’s life, so with an ever-changing situation with the Coronavirus it is easy to worry about the unknown. Once you begin overthinking a problem, you begin to actually hypnotise yourself negatively, then it becomes self-perpetuating which exasperates your anxiety. To help to put your mind at ease, please see below a guide to help you to feel relaxed and to stay safe.
Here are some effective ways to help you keep calm & you can apply the simple techniques to any worries you may have;
Take control of your thoughts. Visualise and imagine your own junk room in your mind, imagine putting all of your problems, health worries, anxiety and even the Coronavirus into this room, then imagining disposing it in a way that feels right for you. Maybe even imagine the coronavirus as a colour or shape, then shrink it down in your mind, by reducing the image, you will break the habit of worrying.
Controlled breathing. Has a positive impact on the body by lowering cortisol levels, improving autonomic response to mental and physical stress & it also improves arterial blood flow!
Write down a plan. Plan how you can minimise your exposure to the virus e.g. avoid heavily crowded places, avoid mixing with people from affected areas, wash hands regularly. By writing a list this will help you to feel more in control of the situation and it will also give you a clear plan in your mind so you action sensible routines.
Visualise. Visualise yourself as fit and healthy. By seeing a positive image of yourself in your mind it will stop you from worrying. What we see in our minds we become, so you are more likely to behave in a way that will keep you safe.
Money worries. One of the biggest challenges for people is that if they have to self- isolate this will mean that they can’t go to work. Many people don’t receive sick pay or are self-employed so won’t earn if they don’t work which can leave people financially exposed. Think of 3 things to help your finances by taking control of your spending or increasing income. By getting into a mindset of thinking how to boost your finances you will be better off now and once the Coronavirus passes. If you are financially vulnerable use this time to make a pact with yourself to find a way to become financially secure in the future.
I hope you find some of these tips useful. Please watch out for future posts with more tips and tools to help combat stress as when we suffer from stress the immunes systems ability to fight off antigens is reduced! This is why we are more susceptible to infections. The stress hormone corticosteroid can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system!
Retreat clinical hypnotherapist & coach – Donna