Managing anxiety through the uncertainty of the pandemic
As Australians deal with a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Delta variant has seen a return to some familiar challenging situations but with a frequency and intensity that are testing our ability to deal with stress and anxiety.
With restrictions announced at short notice come the stress and fatigue of working from home, supporting kids through remote learning, and being within four walls with the same people almost 24 hours every day. Lockdowns may also create financial stress if you or your partner has been stood down.
Bubbling under the surface is the hidden stress of having very little control over the situation. With the vaccine rollout slow and a way out of lockdowns not expected for some months, we may even be losing hope because of the ongoing uncertainty of when this will truly end.
These are all expected responses, says Cheryl Adams, an organisational psychologist and En Masse mental health facilitator based in Brisbane. She believes that reminding yourself that it is okay to feel this way is the first step to supporting yourself through this, and recommends arming yourself with some strategies to lower the anxiety to a more manageable level.
Grounding can be especially helpful when you are overwhelmed, as you are distracting yourself from the negative thoughts you may be having, and allowing your mind to slow down.
How can you manage the anxiety?
Give yourself permission to feel the emotion
When you feel the anxiety or frustration bubbling, allow yourself to accept how you feel, Adams says. You may want to write it down or name it aloud to help yourself acknowledge it as a normal response during a crisis.
Recall times when you overcame stressful situations
Adams encourages reflecting on times where you’ve been thrown into situations that produced anxiety and took some control away from you, like planning a wedding, having children, or experiencing financial struggles. Take some time to give yourself credit for going through these, noting how you adapted, so you recognise that you are able to be resilient in challenging circumstances.
Practise grounding techniques
When you ground yourself, you are bringing your mind to the present moment, explains Dr Andrew Stock, a clinical psychologist and Head of Psychology at En Masse. Some grounding techniques Dr Stock recommends include:
- taking long and slow breaths while focusing on your breathing
- bringing mindful attention to your senses at that present moment, identifying what you can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste
- going outside to enjoy nature or move your body.1
Assemble a toolkit of coping strategies
Adams recommends using the PERMA framework as a helpful guide.2
P: Positive thinking
When you get a negative thought, ask yourself if it is realistic or helpful for your wellbeing. If the answer to either of these is ‘no’, try and come up with one or two things you can do to make the situation less terrible.
E: Emotion
Adams suggests making a list of things that bring you joy and happiness. Aim to do at least one of these pleasurable activities every day.
R: Relationships
Try to have at least one positive connection with someone or something. It could be a person, animal, website, or book, Adams suggests. This can support you to feel relaxed, pleasure, or joy more often during the week.
M: Meaning in life
This refers to the life motto or values you can train your mind to revert to everytime you’re feeling anxious, Adams says. For example, if your values are to be kind, tenacious, and generous, it can be helpful for you to reorient your focus toward developing these in the face of anxiety-producing situations.
A: Accomplishment
Take note of and celebrate what you have achieved each day. It may be that you got out of bed, watched your favourite comedy show on TV, or ventured outside.
Press into gratitude
Name or write down the things you are grateful for. You can do this in the morning or at the end of the day. If this proves tricky, think of what you enjoyed about the day, what the best part of the day was, or what you overcame, Adams suggests.
Set boundaries on news
Limit the time you spend reading or listening to the news if this brews anxiousness. Some practical ways to do this is by only reading the first paragraph of news articles, or by setting time limits on reading news and social media posts.
Then there’s the return to office
In the midst of all this is the impending return to the office once lockdowns lift. How can you mentally prepare if you’re anxious about returning?
It may help to counter your negative thoughts about returning to office with the benefits of doing so. Being physically in the office can provide you with a sense of social connectedness, says Dr Stock. You also receive and pick up on non-verbal cues that you don't necessarily get on a video call, like a smile or passing encouragement in the corridor, which can help you remember that you are actually valued.
Besides practising the other anxiety-reducing strategies outlined above, carve out some time before your commute to write down three things you are looking forward to about going to the office, Adams recommends. This may ease some of the anxious thoughts and feelings.
You can also write down three things you’re concerned about, and consider if you are able to address this with your manager at work. When you return home, Adams encourages writing down what you learned, what you enjoyed, and what was challenging about being in the office. Doing this pushes your mind to really assess the situation as it really is, and you may come to realise that it is more manageable than you thought.
If you're managing a team
If you are in leadership, how can you support your team members and colleagues during this stressful period?
Create space at work to address concerns
Adams and Dr Stock both encourage being deliberate in checking in and supporting your team members. You could arrange a weekly or fortnightly debrief session for the team or a monthly one-on-one catch up with each team member to check in on how they are coping.
In these sessions, you can ask, ‘What are three things you are looking forward to today? What is going well or what are you pleased with? What are three things you are concerned about regarding work and outside of work?’
And don’t just leave it there. Acknowledge and reward what each team member is doing well, and discuss what action they and you can take to address their concerns.
Rethink how you manage
Finally, Dr Stock recommends reflecting on your management style and checking for any traces of micromanagement. Consider changing tactics if you notice that you may be exuding mistrust toward and adding to the stress of your team members. Instead of holding five Zoom meetings every week, for example, trust that people will get the work done as long as they receive the appropriate amount of support and autonomy.
En Masse offers a number of workshops dedicated to managing anxiety through the challenges of the pandemic, including Mental health in uncertain times and From surviving to thriving. Contact us today to discuss a program targeted to your audience.
References
- Najavits LM. (2002). Seeking safety: a treatment manual for PTSD and substance abuse. New York: Guilford Press.
- Seligman, MEP. (2018). PERMA and the building blocks of well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13:4, 333-335.
