The Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is on the forefront of everyone’s mind. News stations are reporting it, journalists are printing it, friends and colleagues are discussing it and phones are notifying about it. In other words, the Coronavirus has gone “viral”. Just last month, COVID-19 was mainly contained to China, but it has spread fast. Europe saw breakouts in only a few weeks, and it has finally landed in the United States. We are now witnessing cases of domestic transmissions, and deaths are occuring at a faster rate. The CDC has recommended stockpiling a two week supply of food, water and supplies in case of a pandemic.
What to do with My COVID-19 Anxiety?
With 24-hour news cycles and perpetual coronavirus warnings, fear about the future is inevitable. So how does one stop worrying about what’s to come? To answer this question, understanding how anxiety functions is critical. Humans have evolved to have anxiety for the crucial purpose of identifying and avoiding perceived threats. This means that we humans are not designed for happiness; we are designed for survival. Anxiety just happens to be our primary survival skill.
When people talk about anxiety, most are referring to racing or worried thoughts. Worrying about “worst case scenarios” is our human way of feeling in control of a future perceived as dangerous. For this reason, the human mind creates endless scenarios in an effort to avoid future catastrophe. While frequent worry may feel overwhelming, it is in-fact completely normal. You may even want to “thank your mind” the next time you are awake at night worrying. Yes, that’s right, I said thank your mind. No one will ever work harder than your own mind to protect you from potential danger.
Overcoming Worry & Worst Case Senarios
The problem is that worrying is just not very effective. The larger the number of worst case scenarios, the more anxious one becomes. And each of these “mental stories” is a new emotional roller coaster to ride. You may notice that I referred to these worried thoughts as “mental stories”. This is because most, maybe all mental scenarios do not come true. A person can easily think of 15 different scenarios for a single future event. But how many ways will the future actually occur? As far as I know, only 1. That means that at least 14 of the 15 scenarios are not real. They are simply stories, “mental stories”. And even the 15th scenario is unlikely to occur, at least not the way it was envisioned. This means that all future scenarios are stories, because after-all, they have not actually happened.
Hooked into Worry
Getting hooked by mental stories is a normal human phenomenon, and therefore not harmful. However, it’s still important to be mindful of “sticky” thoughts so that there is more choice in how to respond. The temptation to escape thoughts is strong, but usually results in greater anxiety. Instead, it is more effective to notice mental stories when they arise (e.g. I am going to get sick from the Coronavirus), and “unhook” when possible. This cognitive behavioral skill from CBT has provided millions of people with relief from their anxiety.
Coronavirus vs Values
A great way to ensure that mental stories do not drive decision making is by identifying “values“. When life decisions are values-based, unhooking becomes easy, and life is more meaningful. For example, when friendship is a value, people want to socialize. However, if anxiety about the Coronavirus causes canceled plans, quality of life will suffer. Mental stories such as “if I socialize, then I will get sick” lead to values-inconsistent choices. We must learn to unhook and make decisions based on the values!
Living with Coronavirus
Unfortunately, control is an illusion. Diseases will arise and negative life events will occur. Choosing to live a life of meaning despite adversity allows freedom from mental traps. Unhooking and valued decision making may be the way to live anxiety free in a Coronavirus age.
Podcast on Coronavirus Anxiety
CBC’s blog is for educational purposes only. It is not to be used as personal advice or to take the place of seeing a licensed professional