Coronavirus anxiety: your mental health & coping with stress during unprecedented times

Coronavirus Anxiety is a real thing. So if you’re feeling it, know that you’re not alone. As we enter our second year of the pandemic the virus continues to overload hospitals, causing people all over the world to experience increased levels of stress and anxiety as they worry about their own health, the health of loved ones, job losses, financial struggle, and the economy. While it’s completely normal to feel stress in times of crisis, it is possible to manage stress levels with extra care and careful attention to your emotions and your mental well-being.

 

How to stop worrying about Covid 19

 

Mental health during Covid-19

There’s a lot to worry about right now. There’s a lot of uncertainty. This makes it critical for you to be able to recognise what stress looks like for you, and to take steps to manage this stress (whether personal, work-related, or financial) in order to build your mental resilience. Just as important, you need to recognise when you can no longer cope on your own and how to get the help you need.

Whether you’re working from home, or going into the office, the Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly changed the way you work – fear and anxiety about this new disease can feel overwhelming, and this stress can contribute to workplace burnout, even if you’re working from home.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTx1vELv7zU

 

Coronavirus and mental health: recognise your stress and anxiety symptoms

It’s completely normal to experience any or all of these symptoms:

• Higher than usual levels of irritation, anger, or denial
• Feeling uncertain, nervous, or anxious
• Lacking motivation, having difficulty concentrating
• Normal tasks take longer than usual to complete
• Feeling inexplicably sad or depressed
• Experiencing trouble with sleeping
• Feeling constantly tired, overwhelmed or burned out

This situation is only complicated further by additional work-related stress factors

 

• Worry about the risk of being exposed to the virus at work, or while travelling for work.
• Complications relating to taking care of personal and family needs while working (it gets tricky when you’re dealing with home school and working requirements).
• Managing a different workload, without the usual face-to-face support found in an office environment.
• The feeling that you’re not contributing enough at work, or the guilt you feel at trying to juggle too many responsibilities at once.
• Uncertainty about job security,  the survival of your company and making ends meet in tough times. 
• Learning new communication and collaboration tools and overcoming technical challenges while adapting to a different workspace and schedule. 

 

5 tips to help you cope with stress during Covid-19

1. Limit your media/news exposure.
   Constantly being bombarded by stats, and pandemic related news stories is exhausting. Especially when there’s so much fake news being circulated. Limiting your news exposure is a good way to protect your mental health. Seek out reliable news sources and check these no more than twice a day – in the morning and afternoon, but not just before bed. Too much news exposure can raise your stress levels and make you aware of events that you have no control over.
2. Get outside, get some fresh air.
   Being stuck indoors for extended periods of time is no good for your mental health. Even if you don’t feel like it, make time to step out of your home (office) and take a walk around your neighbourhood, while maintaining physical distancing and wearing your mask. A change of scenery and fresh air is a good way to recharge your emotional energy stores.
3. Control what you can.
   A sense of control during times of uncertainty can be very helpful, so utilise the opportunity to take control over things you can handle, especially in your home environment. Cleaning can be very cathartic, and decluttering to turn mess into organised spaces can be very rewarding, giving you a greater sense of control and accomplishment. Other things that can contribute to an enhanced sense of control: exercise, healthier eating choices and maintaining daily routines as far as possible.
4. Give yourself an expressive or creative outlet.
   Engaging your brain and using your hands to make, paint or craft something can have a significant effect on your stress levels. Whether it’s a colouring book, a canvas, some clay or a word search, taking some time to do tasks unrelated to work can help your mood. An expressive outlet includes acknowledging your emotions and giving yourself time to feel them.
5. Reach out if you need help.
   If your stress and anxiety reach levels you’re unable to cope with on your own, don’t be afraid to reach out. Whether it’s phoning a friend or a loved one, or booking a session with a therapist to talk, it’s important that you do something. Stress and anxiety isn’t something you need to deal with alone, and sometimes just knowing that someone else is there for you can make a world of difference.

 

FinGlobal: We’re in this together

In times of uncertainty, it’s always good to know that you have a cross-border financial services provider that you can rely on for assistance. Whether you need help reducing your expat tax stress, or you need to do an international money transfer, FinGlobal is here to handle it for you.

Take a look at our credentials, our transparent fee structure, get a feel for our in-house expertise and get in touch to discuss your cross-border financial requirements today.