Worry over and uncertainty about the Coronavirus has many people on edge—understandably. It’s spreading across the world and is the top news story day after day. However, as Harvard epidemiology professor Marc Lipsitch told The Atlantic about the virus that causes COVID-19, of those who contract it, “it’s likely that many will have mild disease or may be asymptomatic.”
It’s important to do what we can, of course, by following CDC guidelines: wash our hands thoroughly, cover our mouths when we cough or sneeze, stay home if we’re sick, keep surfaces clean, stay away from sick people and follow travel bans.
But panicking doesn’t help. In fact, the World Health Organization recommends people take positive steps toward de-stressing by limiting anxiety-inducing media, eating healthfully, exercising and getting enough sleep. The WHO also recommends we draw on skills we’ve used in the past to handle life’s adversities, using them to help us manage emotions during this outbreak. In my case, journaling, yoga and meditation are my go-to stress relievers.
Sunday Journal Prompt
What practices have helped you cope with stress in the past? How can you make time for those now?
