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How do we cope with worry
I suffer with anxiety, something that stems from my MS and living my life in a wheelchair. It can be triggered by any small thing. At first when we all went into lockdown I thought it was not too bad, I could cope, even though we knew it would probably be long.
But as the time has gone on, and we enter the fourth week, I am worried. I’m worried for myself, my husband, my children and grandchildren, for my elderly mother - the list goes on.
The death toll in the UK is now higher than it was in Italy at the peak of the virus. Everybody’s personal story is heartbreaking. I live in a town where everyone knows someone who’s died or who is ill with the virus.
I don’t think there can be anyone in this world that doesn’t worry. But what counts is how you deal with it. So, if you have a problem that needs solving, lying awake at night is certainly not going to provide the solution.
But sitting down in the daytime and thinking rationally about it might. You can make a list of pros and cons or whatever is relevant. Writing is one of the most helpful things. Or perhaps you can talk to someone else about your problem, that can be a great help in rationalising it. Whatever you do, it sure as hell beats lying awake all night twisting your thoughts into knots.
For those of you who, like me, are chronically ill, or in a wheelchair, worry is a constant companion. We can’t change our situations, at least not short term, and some of us not at all. And certainly not in the present situation.
So, it’s important to try and knock worrying on the head. Drinking chamomile tea at night can help to calm the mind. If you have trouble sleeping listen to a very boring audiobook. I have ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky on my phone. I can guarantee sleep comes very quickly!
