On March 11, 2020, both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic due to the coronavirus. The coronavirus has affected 192 countries and territories worldwide and 1 International conveyance, the Diamond Princess Cruise ship. It has steadily been causing vast amounts of turmoil in most households around the world.
Only to add the apprehension things have occurred, no one ever thought they would see in their lifetime. Starting with sporting event cancellations, school closings, mass 
shortages of personal protective equipment in hospitals, delaying elective surgeries, borders closing to International travelers, malls with either adjusted hours or closing altogether, restaurants only offering take-out, grocery store’s shelves are pretty much empty, employers being forced to allow employees to work from home if the work permits or laying employees off because they can’t afford them, and I am sure there is more that I didn’t remember.
Even though it will not be easy, we all need to find ways to calm our overactive anxiety and feelings of distress. First, how many times do you check for updates regarding the coronavirus? Second question, how many news outlets, whether it is TV or online news 
sources? It may help your anxiety and stress levels if you try limiting the number of times you check for updates, such as no more than 2 times a day and NEVER right before bed. It is also very important to choose a credible news outlet for your source. It could provide you additional security to have at least two trustworthy sites because it will allow you to fact check the information.
No matter where we live, we are all in this together and will be until things start to improve. Not to sound negative, but things will probably get even worse before they begin to get better. It is critical to listen to and rely on trustworthy news outlets and 
actual public health experts. It doesn’t matter who the politician is, they did not dedicate their lives to healthcare.
What does your body go through when stress and anxiety reach extremely high levels? What exactly is causing you the most worry? What do you fear the most right now? Is there anything you can do to make what you are worried about easier or end altogether? Allow your mind the time and honesty to answer these questions. Maybe this will distract you some and provide you clarity of your feelings.
The unfortunate truth is we have no control of this virus, but we do have control of what 
we do and how we cope with major situations. I am going to share some ideas that may provide distractions to relieve your anxious mind.
- Connect with family and friends via video chat, phone calls, emails, and social media.
- Yoga- If you have not practiced yoga before and want to start, now might be a good time because learning and trying new things could be enjoyable and a healthy distraction.
- Meditation- If you have never meditated before, that’s okay because there are numerous apps available that are easy to follow, such as https://www.headspace.com/ and https://www.calm.com/. You could also visit Bella’s website https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/. Bella has many posts about meditation that are absolutely amazing and helpful.
- Controlled breathing, which is called square breathing. Imagine your breath
traveling along a square. Inhale up the first side of the square, count to 3, and exhale. Do this on all sides of the square! - Read a good book
- Watch a comedy
- Eat familiar foods that you enjoy
- Free yourself from stress by coloring
- Form a calming atmosphere with sweet aromas
- Get out your knitting, crocheting, sewing or any other creative craft you enjoy
- Take a warm bubble bath to drown your stress away
- Contemplate with your journal. If you do not have a journal, it might help you to
start one now - Pour yourself a warm cup of tea
- Refresh yourself and skin with a facial mask
- Get a deck of cards, puzzle or board game out to play
We do not really know how long we will continue being in monumental amounts of turbulence. We realize there is so much we do not have control over, such as how long we will be dealing with this pandemic, how many people will suffer because of it, or how our communities will be affected. None of this is easy to accept or even understand, but there are several ways we can reduce our personal risks of obtaining the virus.
- Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or hand
sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol - Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth in particular
- Even if you do not feel sick, stay home as much as you can
- Avoid crowds and gathering with more than 10 people
- Avoid all non-essential shopping and travel
- Keep 6 feet of distance between yourself and others when out
- To help support your immune system, get plenty of sleep
- Follow ALL recommendation from health establishments
While we remain in distressing time we need to not forget to care for our body and spirit. The following ideas are ways we can tend to our self-care while we deal with disturbances caused by the coronavirus
- Be kind to yourself:
If you’re experiencing depression and or anxiety, go easy on yourself and know you are not alone
- Maintain a routine as much as you can:
Even though you might be confined to your house, continue your normal sleep, meals, and work schedule
- Make time for the activities you enjoy:
Read that book you’ve been meaning to start, play games you find enjoyable, cook 
something, and create something or anything else to occupy your mind from the stress you have been feeling
- If possible get out in nature:
Sunshine and fresh can be beneficial for our mental and physical health. Whatever you do, obey the restrictions that have been put in place, keep your distance from people you may encounter, and avoid crowds
- Find ways to exercise:
Of course, all gyms and exercise classes will be closed, but you can find alternative ways to exercise. Staying active will help relieve stress, anxiety, and even manage our moods. Get creative with what you are 
able to do without equipment, such as using your own bodyweight to exercise
- Avoid self-medicating:
Be cautious about using alcohol or other substances to control your anxiety and depression
Thank you for taking the time to visit my site today. I hope the information provided will be beneficial for you and your family. Times are anything but easy right now, but hopefully things will start improving very soon. I hope you have a great afternoon and you are feeling the best you can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!
Always, Alyssa
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Do y’all know what does inner peace means? Inner peace is a state in which you are mentally and spiritually at peace, despite the potential of any stressors that might arise. When you truly have inner peace, you have fully accepted yourself and therefore, do not waste your precious time, energy, and attention on unimportant thoughts. Inner peace is the direct opposite of anxiety and worries.
overwhelmed, which nothing gets done.
has been lost, but we need to try to bring it back into our thoughts. Nothing will ever change, no matter how much we stress or constantly think about it. It will be in everyone’s best interest to focus our attention solely on the present, never the past or even the future.
questions!
your time to recharge and not think about deadlines. I was never good at this when I had a job and wish I had adopted this thought process a long time ago, but I will when I do have a job again.
We tend to focus too much on our bad memories, instead of all the good memories we have. Maybe we do this because those bad memories caused some trauma and we will rethink what we could have done, but that isn’t going to fix anything. If we try replacing our bad memories with good ones, we will hold onto the strength we felt during the good memories. This might take time, but it will be beneficial to our mental and physical health.
Thank you for stopping by my site today. I do hope, if you haven’t already visited Bella’s site, you will do so soon. I promise you will not be disappointed because she is pretty great!! I am looking forward to reading your comments about this post because I know you will provide great insight! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love 
Anxiety is a very real issue that affects 40 million people in the United States. Anxiety disorders are the most common and prevalent mental disorders in the United States. Of course, some people experience anxiety for reasons that are not at all life-threatening, but others do feel like they are in danger. When a person faces something that is potentially harmful or other worry triggers, the feeling of anxiety is not just normal but needed for survival. When there is an incoming danger, alarms are set off in our body, which may include an elevated heartbeat, sweating, and increased sensitivity to surroundings.
what is to come next. Anxiety disorders are characterized by a variety of symptoms. The most common symptoms are excessive and intrusive worrying that disrupts daily functions. Other signs include agitation, restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, tense muscles, and trouble sleeping.
Anxiety Disorder (GAD). With this type of anxiety disorder, a person will feel anxious on most days and worry about numerous things. They will also overly worry about money, health, work, and other random issues. This affects 6.8 million adults in the United States, which is about 3.1% of the population. Of those that have been diagnosed with GAD, only 43.2% received treatment. Women are twice as likely to develop this disorder as men are.
Specific Phobias affect 19 million adults, being 8.7% of the population in the United States. Women tend to be twice as likely to develop this disorder as men. The average onset for this condition is around 7 years old. This type of anxiety disorder amounts to an unreasonable or irrational fear related to exposure to a specific object or situation. A person will avoid contact with a specific object due to their fear of such an object.
attacks. A panic attack is a sudden feeling of terror, even when there is no danger around them. This affects 6 million adults in the United States, which is about 2.7% of the population. This does tend to be inflicted on women twice as much as men.
of unwanted obsessions, instructive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings. For example, when a person that is OCD is leaving their house, they need to turn the lights on and off a certain number of times or check the door is locked a specific number of times before they feel comfortable leaving the house.
a terrifying event. This disorder plagues 7.7 million adults, being 3.5% of the population in the United States. This does occur in women more than men, but it does happen to both. Rape triggers PTSD in 65% of men and 49.5% of women. It is believed a person that experienced childhood sexual abuse, will develop PTSD in their lifetime.
Treatment consists of a combination of psychotherapy, behavior therapy, and medications. Some people can avoid therapy sessions to treat their anxiety disorder by doing things at home; after all, going into a clinician’s office can be stressful alone and causes unnecessary stress to a person already dealing with stress and anxiety. If a person decides they prefer to try self-treatment at home, they will need to understand this type of treatment helps those cope with mild and more focused shorter-term anxiety disorders.
which will include learning how to manage stress to limit those potential triggers. You can organize upcoming events and deadlines in order and compile lists with daunting tasks in order to make them easier to manage. It is always important to commit to taking time off from work and or school.
Another self-treatment option is practice replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Start off by making a shortlist of five negative thoughts that are running through your mind. Next, write another list, next to your first list, with positive thoughts to replace those negative thoughts with. When we have a mental image of successfully facing our negative thoughts or conquering a specific fear, this can provide benefits if the anxiety symptoms are related.
is supportive. There are probably local support groups near where you live, but there are also plenty of online support groups. If you want to find local support groups, I am more than happy to help you find as many as I can, just let me know!
all feel free and comfortable to talk to others about what we are dealing with and we should never be judged. We are all human-beings with a strong beating heart and we have feelings. I will be completely honest with y’all, I have not been formally diagnosed with anything, but I feel stress and anxiety most of the time and I can not turn it off. I do not know how to not worry because I have done it for 38 years and like that old saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I would love to read your thoughts on this information because I know y’all are amazing with brilliant thoughts. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love 
