These days for doctors, it’s not uncommon to hear “My symptoms have gotten worse over the last several months.” Whether it’s acne, hot flashes, thyroid symptoms, hormone imbalance, autoimmunity, or sleep issues that someone has historically dealt with, the symptoms can seem more aggravated with the timing of the quarantine earlier this year. People don’t always bring up the quarantine at first, but clearly there can be a link. It might eventually surface that anxiety has increased too over the recent months. If you’re in that boat, you’re not alone because lots of people are going through this everywhere.
It may not be the easiest thing to talk about, but the quarantine, while being a health and safety measure, has initiated its own share of health challenges for people. The general lack of mobility combined with fear about health and the future, along with a desire to escape through overeating food or some other habit — well, it’s not the best feeling to deal with.
Prompts to see everything in a positive light — along with constant reminders that we’re all in this together — doesn’t always help either. These messages, while well meaning, don’t necessarily help put our minds at ease. At times, our own individual thoughts and emotions about what’s been going on can become suppressed and driven underground while listening to what everyone else has to say. Suppressed emotions can make physical symptoms knock louder, the body’s signals urging you to pay more attention to what you’re really going through on a mind-body level.
Facing anxieties, fears, frustration, stuckness, sadness, hopelessness, or whatever is coming up for you is a real part of taking care of your health right now. Anxiety can even result from other emotions becoming suppressed first. Yes, there are ways we can help one another out during trying times. But health is still an individual pursuit and practice, and the importance of staying connected to what you’re individually going through can easily get lost in the mix. Try your best to get back to it if you can, even before the world itself becomes more open. While there are no quick fixes, simple tips you can start practicing now include:
Acknowledge any anxiety
We often want any signs of anxiety to just go away, but this often makes it worse. Whether it’s jitteriness, a lump in the throat, an unsettled and fluttery stomach, hot flashes, or racing thoughts at bedtime, try and acknowledge the symptoms by being honest that they’re there. Just because social distancing and pandemic safety measures are part of the new norm, doesn’t mean you have to stuff and deny any unease around it. Find time for yourself, to get what you need to help slowly calm the mind and let the benefit extend to your body too.
Rest and basic care
Despite increased free time this year from quarantine, you may have found this whole experience to be draining on some level. Just like any other time when your body is feeling tired or low in energy, rest goes a long way toward supporting the body’s health and alleviating some of the effects of chronic anxiety if you have it. It may be hard to accept as the best course if your mind keeps nagging at you to be more productive and race toward figuring out the future. Take a step back, and get your body the rest that it deserves. Doing so will strengthen your immune system and help you manage any anxiety better. It will also help you have energy for when things get going again.
Exercise
Small ways that you’re able to get out and about or use your space for activity, movement, and exercise make a difference. Physical activity gets your mind off fixating on worries and concerns for a little bit and keeps your body’s metabolism in better shape. It doesn’t have to be militant or hardcore, but a little here and there can make the current changes and climate of the world out there easier to handle on some level.
Enjoy where you can
Real life rarely mimics what we see on TV, with people dancing around and partying “alone together” during this time. The days can feel a bit stagnant and monotonous at times, even with social distancing measures relaxing a bit lately. It can be a challenge to remember what you really used to enjoy doing before this whole thing started. Or what really motivated you. Be gentle toward yourself and enjoy where you can. Not all days will feel open to this, but some will and when you can find it, enjoyment helps reduce anxiety.
Pay attention to your signals
If you have chronic physical symptoms that have reared their heads or gotten worse, take time to pay attention to them. See if there is a connection between them and if there’s an area of your lifestyle that you can tweak to help your health feel more supported. Little steps here and there can go a long way.
Take a break from media, the social variety included
Yup, I said it. We all know that hearing others’ opinions can be helpful sometimes, and at other times can be stressful and annoying. Outside of being educated on what health and safety measures to take out in public, which I’m sure you’re already aware of, you can afford to take a nice break from all the noise. If you do check social media, try and stick to those sources that are not simply parroting talking points that you constantly hear everywhere. There are definitely social media users out there who avoid spreading panic and fear, and these are the ones that can be safe and healthy to check out. The added quiet you bring into your life from being choosy on whose words and thoughts you invite in, will help calm frayed nerves from social banter overload and misinformation.
Much is going to change in the next few months within society. Where you want to direct your life and your health is still up to you. With so many things up in the air, do your body a favor by helping yourself deal with anxiety as honestly as you can. Try not to dismiss what you think and feel about what you’ve experienced this year, even if to some extent you feel alone in whatever that is. If what you discover about your thoughts and feelings isn’t echoed somewhere on social media or TV, that’s fine. No one can tell you how to process this better than yourself: Keep your mind about you.