Focus on Your Behaviors to Relieve COVID-19 Anxiety

BY SANFORD HEALTH

If you’re feeling fearful or anxious about the coronavirus pandemic, that’s natural.

“It’s how we’re hard-wired,” says Sanford Health licensed psychologist Jon Ulven, PhD.

A situation that’s “novel, uncertain and potentially threatening gives us a heightened amount of focus,” he explains.

While fear is normal, Dr. Ulven says we should let wisdom and logic guide our behavior. Because we have more control over our behavior and our thoughts than we do over our feelings, evaluate how your health behaviors might affect your risk for acquiring COVID-19 and transmitting it to others. • Ask yourself — and be really honest: how often do you actually wash your hands? Use your answer to examine whether your hand-washing technique is adequate. • Consider how often you touch your face. The virus can enter through the eyes, nose and mouth. Reducing face touching will help decrease your risk. • Answer honestly: Am I in the higher risk category now? If you are, decide what you’re willing to do to protect yourself and others. • Keep proper perspective throughout the pandemic. In the big picture, humankind will survive this and come away stronger. • Be careful how and when you consume news. “Increased news coverage doesn’t always mean increased threats,” Dr. Ulven says.

• Gather information from reputable sources. It is important to avoid sources who present themselves on social media as authorities when they aren’t. • Decide how often you look for news about the pandemic. Modeling Behavior for Kids

“We can choose peaceful behaviors and model them for others,” says Dr. Ulven.

Consider: “I am teaching my kids about how to cope with adversity. How do I want to model this? What do I want them to see?” S U M M E R , S U N , & S A N D !

Decision-making based on wisdom and logic can address not only your anxiety, but anxieties children have as well. Dr. Ulven recommends honesty with them, too.

He also suggests encouraging healthy behaviors with children and others, such as hand-washing techniques and finding healthier ways to interact rather than shaking hands.

“If we let fear drive our decisions,” he adds, “It can lead to behaviors such as hoarding supplies.”

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Staying in Touch

Because short term, isolation can be the healthier choice to prevent the spread of infection, Dr. Ulven suggests that people plan to maintain contact with others via mobile devices, Skype, FaceTime or any other digital platforms.

“Discuss the plan for staying in touch,” he says.

“The majority of us will have no trouble bouncing back once the threat has passed,” Dr. Ulven says. “But, it’s important to stay community-minded. Be on the lookout for people who might not return to their normal selves. Ask if they’re OK.”

Resources for help can include primary care providers, workplace employee assistance programs and behavioral health specialists. Additional resources for those struggling with anxiety can also be found at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

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