The fear of being infected with the coronavirus — coupled with job losses, closed schools, shuttered churches, empty shelves and plummeting stocks — is stressful enough.
Take time to take a deep breathe and read how to handle stress and isolation.
“Concrete things like filling up a jug of water or buying a couple of cans of food can help,” Benjamin Farmer, a family therapist said. “Taking clear, small steps to move in a direction where they can feel they have some control. Reaching out to others to ask how they are doing can help an anxious person cope. Having a support system in place, even if it’s only one or two people, is enough to alleviate anxiety. Reframing how they approach this virus, saying, ‘I am socially isolating to protect my family.’ Reframing can give people a sense of power to navigate that stress."