10 Ways to Ease Your COVID-19 Stress and Anxiety

Last week on social media I shared how I suffered from a panic attack for the first time ever. It was a very scary experience but thank God I had my son there who turned out to be my hero by calming me down, wiping my tears and giving me a massive hug.

It is a very weird and strange time filled with uncertainty, panic and big changes. Being pregnant is stressful in itself, so I write this blog post for anyone out there who may be expecting or just generally worried about all that’s going on.

Here are some practical ways you can ease your stress and anxiety:

Try to block out “Fake News” and stick to the facts.

We have all seen the whats app messages going round and lot of it is unfortunately fake news. Don’t be afraid to block out certain repeat offenders.

Start your day off positively.

Write up a few things you are grateful for or listen to an uplifting podcast or some music to keep your mind in good spirits.

Love on your family, loads.

Since most of us are home bound its hard to get around but please do make use of technology to keep in touch with your loved ones as often as possible.

Go for a walk.

Get some fresh air and stretch those legs. Our bodies are not designed to stay in one place for too long and some fresh air will do you a world of good.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If you are heavily pregnant like me, you are going to need help with a few things that you can’t physically do yourself so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask.

Talk about your feelings.

Bottling up how you feel is unlikely to help. It’s a very overwhelming and uncertain time, you are well within your right to feel anxious. Please talk to someone you trust or a trusted charity such as the Samaritans for help. Sometimes talking about your feelings and releasing them out of your mind can help alleviate the stress and negative feelings

Take care of your Mental Health.

Practise Mindful breathing, mediation, prayer or whatever gets you in the mood for calm regularly. Take regular brain breaks, especially if you are working from home and in front of your laptop all day.

Limit the amount of news you consume.

Instead of regularly scrolling and looking for news, set yourself a specific time of the day to catch up on the facts and still be in the know without worrying over it 100 times a day.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep.

Sleep deprivation causes way more harm than good. Make sure you are getting at least 6 – 8 hours a night so you feel nice and rejuvenated from the day ahead.

Avoid “Herd Mentality”.

People take some unusual measures in a state of panic that doesn’t help such as panic buying in the shops or specific cleaning rituals. Just because everyone else is doing it, it doesn’t mean its right or healthy for you. Try not to jump on the band wagon and stick to the facts and what you can control.

I don’t know what is going to happen from here onwards, but I know we will get through it and this too shall pass.

Stay positive, stay safe and don’t forget to wash those hands!

Oh yes and drink some tea too, because who doesn't love a good cup of tea?

Love, Tinuke x