Dealing with health anxiety is tough, however, it becomes an excruciating daily struggle when there’s a pandemic caused by a deadly virus spreading throughout the globe.
When the news of the Coronavirus first broke, I was unperturbed because I’d learnt to build a defence against negative news. So, my interaction with the media remained at just a glance, but this didn’t last long. I soon began to gaze and as expected, assimilated each information doled out. Then, the first case was reported in Nigeria and the anxiety seeped in.
They often say it’s easier for bad news to gain grounds quickly, and that has been the case. With the current worldwide panic, I soon realized it was imperative to do something to protect my mental health and sanity.
These four things have kept me sane:
- Praying and studying the Bible. Being a Christian is beyond the name; it is a relationship with God. I have long realized that a relationship is incomplete without constant communication. Equally, reading the Bible builds my faith and assurance in God’s promises and love.
- Reduce my media consumption. This one has been difficult because everywhere I turn, all I see is “Corona Virus”. However, I have made a conscious effort to ignore the news and drastically reduce my attention span to the barest minimum.
- Obverse all sanitary protocols. I have consciously become a ‘sanitary Nazi’ ensuring I wash my hands often and everyone around me does the same. Beyond the need to be cautious and clean, I do this to keep myself assured.
- I shift my focus. This has been very helpful especially when negative news keeps tugging at my attention. Shifting my focus to work or doing something I love has built positive energy around me, helping to gradually fight off the bad vibes.
These indeed are scary times, however, it is our responsibility to protect what goes on inside us and how we as people react to external information. Do we cave in to fear or rise above it?