9 Smart Ways to Deal With the Fear and Anxiety of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Are you scared because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Do you worry excessively that you may contract the corona virus?

Do you become anxious when you think about all the people who are losing their jobs?

When you are alone, do thoughts of COVID-19 mortality rates come into your mind and make you feel scared?

Then here are a few things you can do to deal with your fears.

Control Your Breathing

When all these negative thoughts come to mind, this is what happens in your body.

1.   The part of your brain that responds to fear stimulus, known as the amygdala, is activated.

2.   The amygdala stimulates your brain to release cortisol and adrenaline, which are stress hormones.

3.   These stress hormones cause changes in your body, including an increase in your breathing rate.

4.   Consequently, you breathe shallowly.

5.   As a result of this shallow breathing, your body does not get adequate amounts of oxygen.

6.   The result? An alarm is sent to your brain that your body is under threat.

7.   This can paralyze your thinking processes and you can get even more fearful as a result.

How Deep Breathing Can Help You

1.   Breathing deeply will stimulate your vagus nerve.

2.   When this nerve is stimulated, enzymes that fight stress are released into the body.

3.   These enzymes can help give you the feeling of a sense of control.

4.   Consequently, you will find it easier to calm down.

You might consider using the “5-8-10” technique.

What is this?

1.   Breathe in for a count of 5.

2.   Hold the air in your lungs for a count of 8.

3.   Then breathe out for a count of 10.

Think Of An Image That Will Boost Your Confidence

Whenever you think about the COVID-19 statistics and fear grips your heart, conjure up an image that can inspire a sense of optimism in you. For example, envision yourself surviving the disease.

·         Maintain that image in your mind. The image will remind you that something other than what you fear can happen.

·         In other words, the image will drive away fearful thoughts so that you can feel confident and hopeful.

Look At An Image That Will Boost Your Confidence…

·         Download a picture of Jesus on the cross onto your phone.

·         View it when you feel scared.

My Personal Experience

I do this when fear grips my heart.

How does it help me?

·         When I reflect on the image, it reminds me of God’s love for me. It reminds me that if God allowed His only begotten Son to die to save me from my sins, then He will help me with whatever challenge I’m facing if I pray to Him.

... Or View An Illustration

You may also choose to let an illustrator or an artist produce a pictorial description of the scene in Isaiah 38 for you.

What happened in Isaiah 38?

King Hezekiah (who was sick) prayed to God to help him to survive his sickness. Subsequently, he survived for 15 more years after that prayer.

View that picture often when fear grips your heart. It will remind you that God made someone survive his disease and He can make you survive too.

Such a mindset will cancel out thoughts that suggest to you that you may die of corona virus infection and COVID-19.

Practice Personal, Daily Awareness Of Who God Is

Although intellectually many Christians assent to the fact that God exists, and believe that He is Omnipotent and so can help one to solve his problems, He is not real to most Christians on a personal level when they are going through difficult times.

Why?

The pain and suffering they are going through dulls their spiritual senses. So they feel that either God does not care about what they are going through, or God is very far away.

The result?

Faith becomes weak and that can make it easy for fear to take over the mind.

How Daily Awareness Can Help You

On the other hand, when the believer reminds himself often of who God is, that God is a personal Savior who steps into the storms of life when we honor Him when we are in trouble, it will help remind you that you have a SAVIOR in your corner so you don’t need to fear.

Furthermore, it’ll help to reinforce the conviction that God is aware of you and He is your Father who can save you.

A Practical Example Of How Practicing Awareness Helped Someone

Others have practiced this awareness of God and it has helped them.

For example, in 2 Kings 6 v 15—23 of the Bible, Elijah, who was always aware of who God was, was absolutely calm when he got to know about some disturbing and frightening information (that they were surrounded by enemies).

On the other hand, his servant, who was with him and saw that same challenge, was so scared because he was not aware of God’s presence.

How To Do It

How can you practice awareness of God?

·         Read Exodus 34 v 6 and Jeremiah 9 v 23, where God reveals who He is, often.

·         Listen to preaching tapes that preach about themes related to God’s closeness to the believer who is experiencing a tragedy, throughout the day. That will help you to fill your mind with constant positivity and hope so that fear cannot overwhelm you.

Read And Meditate On Isaiah 41 V 10 Often

In Isaiah 41 v 10, God affirms the fact that He is a helper by saying, “fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

Read this verse at least twice a day, and memorize it. Whenever the COVID-19 scare pops into your head, say that verse aloud to yourself mindfully, repeatedly.

How This Can Help You

·         As your mind focuses on what you are saying, and processes it, you will enjoy some mental respite.

·         And as you keep repeating those words to yourself, they will sink into your subconscious mind and you will become more mindful of them. Once you remind yourself that you have been promised help by a caring Helper who never lies but always fulfills His promises, your mind and spirit can find rest.

You Will Also Feel Relaxed If You Meditate On This Verse Daily

It will remind you that you have an all-powerful God who is big enough to help you survive this disease. That will make the statistics feel absolutely inconsequential, which will make it easier for you to experience a sense of comfort.

Do Things That Will Make The Holy Spirit Fill You Every Day

The Holy Spirit can embolden a person so that he can face his fears. He has done it for so many people.

·         For example, Gideon had fears about destroying idols in his father’s house. But when God’s Spirit filled him, he became bold and destroyed those idols.

·         And it was when Samson became filled with the Holy Spirit that he tore a lion asunder (Judges 14 v 6) and did many other heroic deeds.

How Being Filled By The Holy Spirit Will Help You

The Holy Spirit will remind you of Bible verses you have heard. He will also remind you of preaching you have heard in church. And since God’s word inspires courage and strengthens the spirit, you will feel more courageous.

How to Become Filled With God’s Spirit

·         Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with all your heart whenever you can during the course of every day.

Spend Time With COVID-19 Survivors Online

Read stories of COVID-19 survivors, at least one a day. Interact with them and it will make the fact that some people have overcome COVID-19 more real to you.

That reality can help you feel, “If others have survived after being infected with corona virus, I may also survive.”

Spend Time With Positive- Minded People

Talk to friends, former work colleagues, or relatives who make you feel happy whenever you are with them.

And when you are alone and fearful thoughts come into your mind, remind yourself of some of the funny and interesting things they say to you when you chat with them. This will force out fearful thoughts from your mind and you will feel okay.

Converse With Jehovah Regularly

Prayer has many benefits for the mind. It reminds you that God is your helper and deliverer.

Remembering that Jehovah is a Helper and Deliverer, your fear will decrease because you will reckon that He will not make what you fear happen to you.

Therefore, every day, say a prayer such as, “Dear LORD, I thank You for Your care, provision, protection, and guidance which have brought me this far. Father, I have fears in my heart. I get scared whenever I hear about the corona virus and COVID-19. LORD, please keep me. Amen.”

Points To Remember

If you get scared whenever you remember corona virus and COVID-19

·         do deep breathing exercises;

·         conjure up an image that you feel can encourage you;

·         do things that will make you aware that Jehovah is with you; and

·         talk to God often

and your fears will diminish.