How are you handling anxiety in this time of COVID-19?

Good suggestions and things I'd love to do until better days come, but am finding out that there's a difficulty in communicating or cultivating this type of positivity while still being safe.

@rosemarya I too am finding the need to "step away" for a time each day. I limit myself to 2 periods on the computer looking at Mayo & newsfeeds. Otherwise it is music or old movies on TV (no cable or satellite here.) I even try to follow the Mexican telenovellas on local TV since I am practicing my Spanish. (Mexican radio broadcasters talk way too fast...)
We are fortunate to be in a tiny community with about a dozen others, so we still can have some social activities while isolated from the wider world. Yesterday I played a card game with 3 close friends. This afternoon about 6 of us will line dance for 2 hours (we can do this and still be at least 6 feet apart!) My friend and I have also opened out paints, and she gave me a much-needed watercolor lesson the other day - tomorrow would normally be game day for a larger group (now cancelled) so I will sit at my kitchen table and paint.
And I walk - and walk - and walk, stopping to chat with neighbors sitting on their patios when the weather permits.
I encourage everyone to find something that brings joy, and commit to doing it every day as an antidote to the prevailing bad news, fear and anxiety.
Do you meditate or pray? Read scripture or other uplifting books? Listen to TedTalks? Sew, knit, craft, draw, paint, woodwork, photograph...? Walk or do other exercise?
Also everyone, we do not need to be afraid to go out in the fresh air and walk around, as long as we don't congregate in groups. You can even walk in the rain with raingear - not as much fun, but it gives you a sense of oneness with nature (as long as it's not icy.)
Sue

Hello All:

On a regular basis, I receive a blog from Virginia Laken who has MCI, mild cognitive impairment. Her blog this month was about dealing with COVID-19 and the anxiety that it brings about. As always, Virginia is very open and honest about this. I thought I would share her blog with you as well.

In this blog, she writes, "While I’m far from perfect, I have learned to catch myself when I start projecting negatives and dire possibilities—as I did so easily in my early stages of MCI." The last sentence of her blog was especially poignant as she talks about what she does when anxiety tries to overtake her,

"I take a deep breath or two or three. I think about how far I’ve come with dealing with my MCI, of how I have learned to acknowledge the fear or the what-if and disassociate from them, and then let them float off into the air by quoting Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

Here is the link to the entire article, "What, oh What to do With Worry."
https://virginialaken.com/2020/04/what-oh-what-to-do-with-worry/

@hopefull33250. Thank you. This is the first time I am hearing about Virginia Laken. I appreciate her honesty and bravery. Sometimes, people, in their ignorance, either feel uncomfortable or get scared when they confronted with such openness. I don’t have MCI, but I can relate to her inner dialogue. I remember that inner dialogue during my divorce (1st marriage), deaths of love ones and my cancer/surgery. I do this dialogue when I know I am in a fearful state(catastrophic thinking); and know I am not realistic in my thoughts. That is just being human; and I love her bravery Just saying like it is. No judgment attached.

@virgo1952

I'm glad that you enjoyed meeting Virginia Laken. I gain a lot of insight from her blogs. She is a very transparent person! You can subscribe to her blogs and/or read her previous blogs. Here is the website where you can subscribe, http://virginialaken.com/

@tnmama Beautiful are you framing it

I personally think it would be hard and sometimes even frustrating to cohabitate with someone you are dating. I met my significant other online. I found it difficult when he would just spend the night. I was recently divorced so for me it was a trust issue. It's been 5 years since we've been living together but there are times because of the covid19 virus that I just want to run away. I am currently a retired nurse so what better time to help out one's that are in need. I work as a triage nurse over the phone so I am staying safe but helping others at the same time!! But also getting up and leaving the home I feel good and this gives me some space from my significant other. I absolutely love it. God Bless America. Stay safe and Healthy Everyone!!❤