Tips for Coping with COVID anxiety
The past year has been a blur for many people. As a result, a good portion of the population has experienced fear, loneliness, and anxiety. According to the National Library of Medicine, generalized anxiety, depression, psychological distress, and COVID-19-related fear have all increased significantly this year (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32657323/). Due to this increase, here are a few tips to help cope with anxiety during the pandemic.
Stay Connected. 
There are so many virtual resources at our disposal now. Although it may not feel quite the same as seeing someone in person, it is important to connect with friends and family. Call, Face Time, or Zoom those you care about regularly. Staying in touch can help you cope with anxiety.
Stay Busy.
Work, exercise, hang with your kids, clean, or do things to keep your mind off the stress of the world. Staying busy is a good way to cope with anxiety during difficult times. We need to be realistic and safe about what is going on, but it is not healthy to worry about something 24/7. Distraction is useful at times.
Share your feelings.
Reach out to a friend or family member and talk about your stress. One of the most effective coping strategies is verbalizing your feelings. When you share how you feel, it can lead to feeling relieved and supported.
Stay Relaxed. 
Relaxation techniques can be useful for coping with anxiety. To help decrease stress, try meditation, guided imagery, yoga, baths, reading, gardening, or whatever calms you down. Fortunately, there’s and app for that! There are a variety of apps that can used to help with relaxation tools. For example, yoga is available on YouTube, and Pinterest has many ideas for hobbies.
Get Help.
Getting help from a professional can be effective for decreasing. Counselors trained in treating anxiety can help individuals identify unhealthy coping skills. They also recognize negative patterns of thinking. Therapists can assist with creating newer and healthier ways of dealing with stress, and ways to think about situations more rationally. Often, counselors will use Cognitive-behavioral therapy with clients to reach their goals.
Begin Counseling for Anxiety in Katy, TX
If you are ready to decrease anxiety, Melissa Barton and the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide counseling for men, women, and teens as well as group counseling. To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:
- Contact our office to set up an appointment or to get more information about counseling for anxiety.
- Meet with one of our caring therapists
- Find ways to decrease anxiety.
Other Therapy Services We Offer
Melissa Barton and The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch offer counseling services for people of all ages including: eating disorder treatment, depression treatment, women’s issues, treatment for anxiety, counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, family therapy, men’s issues, trauma counseling, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to regularly post blogs with helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!
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