Managing COVID Stress – Staying Sane

Accepting The Insanity & Trying To Manage COVID Stress

This isn’t just about managing normal stress levels, but as we get deeper into the pandemic, we are trying to manage high levels of COVID stress. The beginning of the pandemic brought upon the stress of the unknown:

What is covid19?
How do I stay safe/keep my family safe?
Can I work from home?
Will I still have a job?
I know I should have a nest egg, but I wasn’t expecting this; what do I do now?

The sudden arrival and impact of COVID19 brought upon a lot of immediate unknown stress. But that doesn’t mean that managing your COVID stress gets easier with time. Depending on where you live, the devastation could be vast and widespread and other areas can have limited cases/spread. As time goes on, we tend to get a little COVID fatigue. Is this ever going to end? Will I ever get to see my friends & family again? I wish I could just travel somewhere.

What I have found to help me manage my COVID stress

Limit news notifications.
- Back in March, I very quickly realized that the constant notifications on my phone related to the coronavirus was sending me spiralling downwards. I found it hard to concentrate and get things accomplished; this is when I was still IN the office. I turned off all push notifications related to any news apps, and it made a world of difference. Without the interruptions, it took the edge off. I still have push notifications turned off and in all honesty, I am loving it. Who knows if I will ever go back!
Know when to say no
- Lordy. This was an issue for me pre-pandemic but became a highlighted issue once I started working from home the third week of March. I was saying yes to this and that, left and right because throwing myself into my work is a [bad/unhealthy] coping mechanism. As Summer approached, I was burnt the heck out. I would snap every time something else was added to my list when someone else would fail to get it done. Only once I was laid off in September 2020, did I realize that if I had learned to say no and get others to handle their load of work, I would have had a much healthier relationship with not only myself but everyone around me.
Connect with others
- Back in the beginning, our circle/bubble included my sister and her partner. My sister works in a physio clinic, so they were initially shut down in March. I knew that we would all need each other to help manage our COVID stress levels. She was laid off, her partner was still working but could close at a moment’s notice, and both Jason and I were working. By including her in coming over to help me with work photography, it forced her to take a break from watching the news endlessly and getting some social interaction. We are doing the same thing now, but we try to minimize interaction as to not cause any kerfuffles with neighbours.
Limit social media
- This is right up there with limiting news intake. The era of social media has brought upon a whole level of complexity to COVID stress. So much news can be spread so quickly, regardless of whether the information is accurate or not and it can cause fear and anxiety. I choose to focus on following and learning from health officials in my province and country, and not from someone that doesn’t have any education in epidemiology. Or common knowledge for that matter. By focusing on limiting social media, it helped ease my anxiety about the information flowing.
  - Oh, and side note: it is easy to get yourself into a comparison game on social media, which isn’t good for mental health in a non-covid world, and definitely not in this pandemic. Just know that most people are suffering, and aren’t always willing to post that on social. Ease up on yourself; we’re in strange times so it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
Get adequate sleep
- I get sporadic bouts of insomnia, and the beginning of this pandemic was no different. I found a few things that helped calm my brain before bed.
  - I drink a calming tea before bed. Every. Single. Night.
  - When I am feeling like my brain is wired beyond word, I take melatonin.
  - I do not use my phone for at least 30 minutes before bed. I’m finding that this really helps my eyes relax, which in turn helps me sleep.
  - I read for a minimum of 15 minutes, but usually around 30 minutes.
  - Meditation. I still fail at this, so I consider it a work in progress. But when I do meditate? I have an easier time falling asleep.
Get outside at least once a day
- Yes I am aware the days are uber short, and the weather is unpleasant for lots of people, but hear me out. When I get outside, I feel so much better. Yes, even on gloomy Raincouver type days. As we have a dog, she does have to be walked. It is literally the perfect excuse. And when I don’t have the dog (Jason takes her to the office some days), I walk to the coffee shop and do a little walk around the neighbourhood. You don’t have to get out for long, but getting out of your house will do you a world of good.
  - Need a little help? Treat yourself to a coffee if you have a favourite coffee place nearby. Or choose to listen to a podcast. Heck, only listen to one type of podcast that is reserved for your outside time. I love listening to a true-crime podcast but tend to listen to that throughout the day or on a run. When I need some me time, I throw on some Rachel Hollis because there is no better time to soak up the wealth of knowledge from that lady!
  - Listen to an album or playlist that soothes you.
  - Listen to an audiobook. If I didn’t love stuffing my nose in a book so much, I would absolutely listen to Rachel Hollis’s books on audio. But as a book nerd, I just love to be one with my books.

Exercise
- This can go hand in hand with the above but for me, I try to do both. At the beginning of the pandemic, I was so good about working out before sitting at my computer. Mainly running, because I just love to run. And with Vancouver having such a nice Spring, so many people would be out on the sea wall during the day. It was key to get out early, or go out late, to avoid congested sea walls. Fun fact, it’s how I landed myself shin splints this year – oops! But after that, I would stick to yoga to do some semblance of movement before starting the day.
  - Yoga, run, walk, dance, weights, HIIT training – whatever you prefer to do. Whatever you will find fun, that will keep you on track. Especially now that the weather sucks.
Working from home – setting boundaries
- It is absolutely paramount and key that if you work from home, you set boundaries. I do wish I had figured this out sooner. Set yourself strict hours, and schedule yourself breaks that you adhere to. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself absolutely drained mentally, making it even harder to manage COVID stress because there is no divide between work and home.
If you wind up laid off
- Take your time to process what has happened. Give yourself a week or so to do nothing. Being laid off is nothing like I thought. When you are let go, especially in a global pandemic, you being let go usually has nothing to do with your work or performance. It all comes down to ensuring a company can survive, or a lack of work available. Being permanently laid off was a huge hit to my ego, so I get it (and I’ve never been fired) but it was super helpful to use the week to decompress and sit with my feelings before making any decisions.

Miscellaneous
- Water: staying hydrated will help you feel better physically and mentally. Drinking enough water helps keep you from feeling groggy/foggy, and since you have to keep getting up to get more water, you incorporate more movement into your day.
- Meditation: If you’ve never meditated before, start small. Use an app like Calm or Headspace and ease into it. Know that you will find it hard to settle your mind at first, but don’t give up.
- Yoga: Whether you love a power flow, yin style, or anything in between, it’ll help you get some activity in and feel relaxed. And it is a great way to stretch your body. You can even fit in a mini session in the middle of your workday.
- Reach out to a professional: especially now more than ever, reaching out for help in dealing with your anxiety and/or covid stress, is always a good idea. Learn more about mental health resources (in Canada) here.

Just know you’re not alone

We’re all struggling in our own ways about how to manage COVID stress and anxiety. This year has pushed a lot of people past their limits, and stresses are running high.

What are some things that you have done this year to help relieve your stress and anxiety?