How to Cope With Anxiety and Feeling Out of Control During the Pandemic

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed so much of our lives, and honestly, it can be hard to adjust to. At this point, it seems everyone has at least been quarantined for at couple of months, and others a whole lot more. The news is continually throwing statistics around and guesses on what will happen next. When will the economy open back up? When can I leave my house? How many people are being affected? It can be challenging to sit with these thoughts and sort them out before they engulf you.

I am naturally a homebody. I enjoy spending time at home, relaxing, laying low and all that. I also have horrible anxiety and phobias of getting sick. Often that can lead me to want to spend even more time at home. Since self-isolation has started in my home state of Missouri, I have been home since mid-March. At the time, I thought it was going to be just fine. I mean, I already spend so much time at home, right? What is the difference?

Wrong. I find myself having days where everything feels normal, and then others where my anxiety is out of control. I am writing this on one of those days where I feel out of control. I have realized that even though I enjoy being at home, I do not like being told I have to stay at home.

My anxiety frequently stems from feeling out of control or having a lack of control. Someone else being in charge of my life and routine makes me feel utterly out of control. As a result, my anxiety kicks in. It becomes a vicious cycle. I start to feel anxious, then feel guilty about feeling anxious since I am in good health, and then it starts all over. I am coming to realize that to stop this cycle from continuing, it is OK to allow myself to be sad.

Whatever you are feeling, it is OK. Regardless of your situation, you have the right to feel what you feel. It’s OK to be sad about canceled events or celebrations put on pause. Not having the ability to run errands, see your family, or do simple minute tasks is hard. It is OK to miss them and mourn them. Feeling what you feel does not make you a bad person. I have to accept this. I want everything to pass over because I care about the safety and health of people, but also because I miss my life.

If you struggle with being kind or patient to yourself, it is OK.
If you are sad and can’t get out of bed, it is OK.
If you are not productive every day of isolation, it is OK.
If you miss your life, it is OK.
If you are afraid, it is OK.
You are not wasting time.
You are not in the wrong.
You are not unproductive.
You are simply you.

At this time, it is OK to simply be ourselves. To feel what we feel and accept it for what it is. This doesn’t make you ungrateful, a brat or a horrible person. You are human, and what is happening is something no one could prepare for. We will get through this, and it will end. Until then, just remind yourself that it’s OK to be sad.

Struggling with anxiety due to COVID-19? Check out the following articles from our community:

• For Anyone Who Needs to Hear This: It’s OK to Just Exist Right Now
• 7 Things to Do If Social Distancing Is Triggering Your Depression
• What to Do If the Coronavirus Health Guidelines Are Triggering Your Anxiety or OCD
• Hey You: It’s OK to Grieve the ‘Small’ Things You’ve Lost During the COVID-19 Outbreak