11 Simple Ways to Deal With Anxiety Attacks You Experience Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction

Do you suffer anxiety attacks because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Do you feel anxious whenever you hear about deaths due to the corona virus?

How can you deal with it without medication?

What are some of the things you can do to deal with it naturally and spiritually?

In this article, I want to show you how to deal with anxiety attacks because of COVID-19.

Now, what should you do?

Redirect Your Focus

The first thing you need to do is to get out of your head, to move your attention from your thoughts and what you are feeling, to the reality of what is going on around you.

How do you do this?

·         Do a quick scan of your body and do your best to stick to the facts. For example, you might think to yourself, “I am experiencing fear right now. My heart is beating very quickly. And I feel nervous.” When you acknowledge these physical responses, you can separate them from what is going on in your mind and what you are feeling.

·         Look around you for a minute or two. Concentrate on the sight around you. Ensure that all your senses participate in this awareness exercise.

·         Listen with rapt attention to the noise going on around you for a minute. It will make you see that all is normal where you are.

·         Talk to someone who is near you about positive stories from the COVID-19 pandemic—recoveries, having time to spend with family, the rise in the spirit of charity etc. so that you will remind yourself that it is not all doom and gloom.

·         Splash warm water on your face and on your hands. This action will stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system and that will make you feel calm so that you can become aware of yourself again.

Control Your Breathing

When you are having an anxiety attack, your breathing becomes quick and shallow. However, when you breathe deeply from your diaphragm, it can help to break this stress response—signals will be sent to your brain to make it release neurotransmitters which can help you to calm down. Deep breathing will also make nerves to send signals to the brain to restore oxygen to your body.

Therefore, when you notice that your breathing is becoming shallow and quick, do your best to focus on your breathing and do this exercise:

·         Place one of your hands on your chest and place the other one on your abdomen under your rib cage.

·         Take in deep breaths slowly through your nose.

·         Count up to three every time you inhale.

·         Then release your breath slowly.

·         Count up to seven and then inhale again and repeat the cycle.

·         Remember to breathe out longer than you breathe in. This will send a signal to your brain that there is no danger to worry about and that will shut off your adrenal gland so that the “fight or flight” mode will not be activated.

Relax Your Muscles

Try to relax the muscles of your body in a progressive manner so that you can consciously release the tension in your body which builds up as a result of anxiety attacks—when you tense and release your muscles in groups, you will be telling your body to relax.

To do this procedure:

·         Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed.

·         Loosen your clothes.

·         Take in five deep breaths.

·         Tense the muscles of your forehead—raise your eyebrows as high as possible and hold it in that position for about five seconds. Then, release the tension.

·         Then, knit your brow as hard as you can for five seconds. Release the tension.

·         Repeat the tensing and relaxing for your neck, arms, chest, stomach, legs and so on.

Touch Your Skin

Place your hand on a part of your body where you can touch your skin. Then, close your eyes, concentrate on the touch, and feel the warmth of the touch and that will help you to be aware of the reality, to focus on the now, so that you can stop focusing on past fears or future fears

Additionally, stroke that part of your body or another part of your body which will send pleasurable sensations through your body so that you can further increase your awareness and focus on the present.

Try To Engage Someone In Conversation

If you are in friendly surroundings, try to broach a topic that piques your interest and which you can concentrate on so that you can distract yourself from the feeling of anxiety.

For example, if your face lightens up every time you think about soccer or when you talk about soccer, ask the person with you a question about soccer so that you will be interested in focusing on that conversation.

Focusing on the other person and the engagement will help distract you from the negative thoughts in your head and that will help you to feel better.

The conversation does not have to be a lengthy one. All you need to do is to try to focus on what you say, and also try to focus on what the other person says.

Tell Yourself That There Is Nothing To Fear

When you see that you are now dealing with reality, and not focusing on thoughts of fear in your mind, start positive self-talk. You may say something such as this to yourself, “Isaac, the worst is over. You are okay now. There is nothing to fear. There is nothing to worry about. Calm down. Everything is going to be fine. Relax.”

Repeat whatever words you choose to use over and over again, whilst making sure that you control your breathing.

Let Someone Say Nice Things To You

The Bible says in Proverbs 12: 25 that, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” 

In other words, when you can hear something encouraging, when you can get somebody to feed your mind with positive words of encouragement, you are likely to become more positive about this COVID-19.

So, if you are with somebody when the anxiety attacks, kindly urge the person to say encouraging words to you.

As he or she says them, listen with rapt attention and drink the words in to your heart and make them settle in your subconscious.

Lie Down

Lie in a supine position or lie on your side in the fetal position. Close your eyes and try to think about something that will make you happy, such as a wonderful day you spent swimming, a fabulous wedding you attended, or a peaceful spot in a village. This will help you to water down the excitement of the anxiety so that you can calm down.

Additionally, ensure that your legs are raised above your body so that blood can flow freely from the lower part of your body back towards your heart. Your heart will not work as hard as it did before and your heart rate will drop, which will allow your body to calm down.

Drink Green Tea

Research shows that drinking green tea can calm your body down because it increases the levels of a neurotransmitter in the body known as gamma-amino butyric acid, which calms down the nervous system and the brain.

So, drink a cup of green tea slowly when you experience anxiety attacks. As you drink it, observe the smell, the color, the taste as it falls on your tongue, and the warmth it creates in you when it gets to your stomach—focus on the present.

Read Your Bible And Focus On Jesus

Read Isaiah 26: 3 which says, “Thou dost keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee,” which means that Jesus gives peace to those who focus on Him.

Then, try to focus on those words and repeat them to yourself. Close your eyes and imagine Jesus saying those words to you. It will make you feel that Jesus is in control of the situation and it will help you to feel calm inside.

Additionally, read John 14: 27 which says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” 

Repeat them to yourself over and over again and think about the word “Peace” and imagine that you are at peace with yourself. It will help your brain to calm down and you will feel relaxed.

Pray

In Matthew 14: 25—33, Jesus spoke to a storm and calmed it. In just the same , He can calm the storm of fear in your mind if you pray to Him in faith.

So, you may intone a prayer such as, “Dear Jesus, I have all these fears in my heart and in my mind because of the corona virus and COVID-19 pandemic. Just as you calmed the storms when you were on Earth, please help me to deal with these anxiety attacks. Give me peace of mind and help me to think positive thoughts. Please let a sense of peace invade my heart so that I can feel calm. Please help me to feel relaxed just as You were able to sleep whilst there was a storm going on, when You were on Earth. Amen.” It will help you to deal with anxiety attacks just as prayer helped this lady to deal with her attacks.

Conclusion

To deal with anxiety attacks due to COVID-19, try to shift your focus from your mind to what is happening around you, try to breathe slowly, relax the muscles of your body, talk positively to yourself, lie down for a while, drink green tea, and connect with the spiritual so that you can receive Divine help.

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