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First, accept your anxious feelings, suggested Winston, co-author of several books about dealing with anxiety. “People who are not used to having these thoughts and worries will have an instinct to put in an effort to stop it. But that tends to backfire,” she said. “The more you struggle with it and distract yourself and problem-solve, the more you make the problem worse.” For example, if you try to push away your negative feelings with distractions such as Netflix, ice cream or alcohol, it can make matters worse. Carl Jung pointed out this paradox in his famous quote, “What you resist, persists.” To understand this mental shift toward acceptance, Winston offered this metaphor: “There are two ways to turn the radio on when you’re worrying. One way is to turn on the radio to drown out the thoughts. That’s distraction, and it works for about two minutes, and then the worries come back,” she said. “The other way is to say, ‘While one part of my mind is worrying, I might as well listen to music.’” In other words, it helps to acknowledge our fear, anger or confusion. Learn to feel those emotions and their effect on our bodies, and eventually they will pass. “It’s not about changing your thoughts; it’s about changing your relationship with your thoughts, Winston said. “It’s not about stamping out worries, but being compassionate with yourself.” Psychologists suggest sitting quietly
PHOTO-ILLUSTRATION BY DREAMSTIME AND MOLLY WINSTON © AGENTURFOTOGRAFIN
Acknowledge your emotions
MAY 2020
More than 125,000 readers throughout Greater Baltimore
Keeping calm in turbulent times By Margaret Foster A racing heart, sweaty palms, an incessant urge to check the latest news. It’s normal to feel anxious during the current coronavirus pandemic. Our lives have been disrupted; businesses are shuttered; the stock market has tanked; and no one knows when life will return to normal. “We’re all having anxiety about the future,” said Dr. Sally Winston, co-founder of the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland, located on the Sheppard Pratt campus. “We’re all a little nuts right now, and we have to accept that is normal.” In our new age of anxiety, what do local psychology experts recommend for managing fear and worry and staying connected?
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Take an armchair adventure to New Mexico’s 400-year-old Taos and the much larger and very different capital city, Santa Fe page 15
ARTS & STYLE Telehealth in action: Most psychologists are now conducting therapy sessions by phone or computer. The Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland, located on the Sheppard Pratt campus, is available to help during the pandemic.
and sensing your breath and heartbeat. Take note if your jaw is clenched or you have a lump in your throat. Consider the feelings with a gentle curiosity, and notice if they change or ebb. Most likely, they will fade in a short time.
senger and WeChat — are free. Many churches are live-streaming services now, too. Classical and other musical performances are also widely available online through YouTube and Facebook.
Go on a news diet Stay in touch with others Next, don’t eschew all social contact, even with the “stay at home” order in Maryland. Pick up the phone and call a friend. Also, now is a good time to become familiar with video chat programs you can use on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Most of them — including Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Facebook Mes-
While information is important, watching the news all day may do you more harm than good. If keeping up with the news brings you too much worry, it may be a good idea for you to go on a “news fast,” or restrict your news-gathering time. At the very least, try to notice what it See KEEP CALM, page 7
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