Most of us anxious about the pandemic.

So, what do we do?

Well, the first thing is to realise that anxiety is normal in a situation like this.

We're biologically programmed to get anxious when there is risk. It is designed to motivate us to fight, to solve or to run away from the problem. So, be kind to yourself if you're anxious. It's normal.

That having been said, too much anxiety is counterproductive. Too much anxiety leads to the inability to contemplate the facts carefully in a measured way and to make careful decisions. If we're very anxious, we become immobilised, overwhelmed and rash in any decisions that we make.

So, it is very important in times like these that we manage our anxiety.

So, how do we do that?

Well, firstly, it's very important to become aware that our anxiety levels have climbed too high.

We may only realise this when we notice that:

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• Our sleep has been disturbed 

• We have become irritable, restless or edgy

• We have excessive tension in our bodies

• Or we're overeating or abusing alcohol or drugs

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And, having realised that we're overanxious, we need to take action.

Most of you have healthy ways of reducing anxiety already.

Here are some examples:

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• Meditation

• Yoga (You can still do this at home with online guidance if necessary)

• Jogging 

• Gym (You can make a makeshift gym at home)

• Brisk Walking

• Cycling

• Time in nature

• Time with animals that you love

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It's worth noting that exercise also increases the efficacy of the immune system. It doesn't take a lot - a brisk walk or a ten minutes of cardio exercise is enough.

At the end of this emailI, I'll be giving you a link to a very helpful tool that can be used to lower your levels of anxiety.

But first, here are a few tips. Try them and see what works for you:

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• Limit your exposure to low-grade information on COVID-19 on social media. Most of us certainly don't need our anxiety levels whipped up.

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• Familiarise yourself with good quality information. This gives a sense of being informed. But, limit reading, watching or listening to such information to, say, 30 minutes a day especially if you find that you are researching compulsively. Some useful sites are listed below.

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• Get a good night's sleep if you can. If you're struggling to sleep, decrease caffeine use - particularly after midday and turn off phones and other screens well before bed time. If you can’t sleep, don't toss and turn, get out of bed and read or meditate until it feels like you might be able to sleep again.

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• Take some time out - to read, to spend time in nature, to watch entertaining TV, to play with the children or the animals, to garden, to cook, to have fun. 

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• Take care of others. Taking care of others - dropping off food or medicines for the vulnerable, for example - can open out hearts to compassion which, in turn can take us out of our self-centred worrying and so reduce our levels of anxiety.

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• Keep in touch with others - via WhatsApp Video, Skype, FaceTime and the like - especially if you're feeling isolated or lonely.

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• Stock up on basic provisions and medicines. This will give you more of a sense of control but please do not go overboard. Others want to stock up too.

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• As much as you are able take the attitude that you will face whatever comes. Acceptance can help enormously. 

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• Realise that so much suffering comes from resisting anxiety. If you are anxious, try to let it be there if you can. 

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• A helpful way to make anxiety more tolerable is to drop your awareness from the stories in your mind (which perpetuate the anxiety) and bring you awareness into your body. Next, identify each element of the anxiety in the body and ask yourself if you can cope with that: My tummy has butterflies. Can I cope with that? There is tension in my chest. Can I cope with that? My heart is beating fast. Can I cope with that? It feels like my breathing is constricted. Can I cope with that? My muscles are tense. Can I cope with that? My mouth is dry? Can I cope with that? I feel light-headed. Can I cope with that? And so on.

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• Hold an ice cube in each hand for a few minutes. This naturally drops our levels of anxiety. Try it!

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• Breathe deeply and make your out-breaths as long as possible (without creating more tension). The body naturally relaxes if we breathe in this way.

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• Keep a sense of humour. It's good for the psyche and it's great for for the immune system.

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Below is a link to download and instructions for a powerful tool - an audio track called 'The Chill Pill' that I created - an audio track that contains pulses that calm your mind in a safe way.

Often, when we are anxious, we don't do what is actually helpful to us. We'd reach for a drink, a joint, for pills or we scan the media for more anxiety-provoking information.

So, try these tips and try 'The Chill Pill.' I hope that they do the trick.

But, if you are still struggling, I am here to help. 

You can contact me by clicking on the button below: