As anxiety starts to take hold, we must remain resilient and mentally healthy during such challenging times. To be able to do this at this time, we need to accept the reality of the situation we currently live in.

In recent weeks, the media has exclusively penned the new term coronaphobia. This is now used when explaining our paralyzing fear of progressing further during the time of coronavirus. Because of this, many of us are refusing to face up to the often scary truth of this ever-changing world.

However, this newly termed phobia is claimed as the reason for many of us fearing a return to the workplace full stop. So, we have to turn this on its head and accept where we’re at.

This means it’s now more important than ever to find a way of accepting your feelings and emotions. This means understanding what is triggering our anxiety and causing us to feel a certain way. Therefore, before you do anything else, you need to be aware of this new reality and then consider what our feelings really mean.

For some people, this awareness comes from their current actions. Some of us are responding to this crisis in a physical way. This can show itself through continually visiting the bathroom, feeling the anxiety in your gut. For others, it presents itself in the head, leading to persistent nagging headaches or regular migraines. You may find you can’t eat, or you are, in fact, overeating during this time.

So, it’s all about understanding what is happening to your body, which is the biochemicals. Consider the possibility that your body may be trying to overcompensate for that fear of what will actually happen.

Neeta Bhushan

Writing since February 2022 · 1 story contributed