If you are experiencing heightened fear and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone. Millions of people are living with anxiety in the United States, and many are experiencing more severe and increased symptoms as a result of the pandemic. However, knowing this may not be a total comfort to you. Luckily, there are ways that you can deal and cope with your anxiety during COVID-19 that may be able to help you feel better. Get to know some of the steps that you can take to deal with your COVID-19 related anxiety. Then, you can start using these strategies right away to help with your anxiety struggles. 

Engage Your Five Senses

When you are feeling panicky or anxious because of COVID-19, whether it is the disease itself or something related to it like social isolation, try to engage your five senses. Start with what you can see. List five things you can see around you (any five things will do).

Next, go with what you can hear. List four of those. Then, move on to what you can feel. List three of those. For smell list two and for taste, list one. You can, of course, switch up the order of the senses, but it is usually easier to do it this way. 

When you focus on the five senses, you are focusing on the here and now rather than whatever you are anxious about. It can help you to feel grounded and safe and relieve your anxiety symptoms in the process. 

Try Coloring or Art as a Distraction

Whether you are artistic or not, sometimes engaging in art-like activities can help relieve anxiety and focus the mind on something else. This form of distraction can be very helpful in times of stress like with COVID-19. 

Try coloring in adult coloring books or other types of art like drawing, painting, or sculpture as a way to distract yourself. You can even channel your anxiety into your artwork, painting representations of your feelings or choosing colors that match your mood. 

Sign Up for Telemental Health Services

One of the best ways to combat anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic is to sign up for telemental health for anxiety. Getting counseling or therapy through telemental health will help you develop further strategies to combat your anxiety as well as help you have a safe space to discuss what you are thinking and feeling. 

Therapy is a great way to deal with anxiety. You can get down to the root cause of your worries and address those in ways that will help relieve your anxiety symptoms. Doing so through telemental health is ideal during COVID-19 because it is safe and can help keep you healthy (mentally and physically). 

For more information on coping strategies or telemental health for anxiety, contact a local health provider.