C = Control what you can.
O = Open up to your thoughts and feelings.
R = Redirect your attention.
O = Observe your actions.
N = Note down your values.
A = Acknowledge advice.
Relax, everything’s out of control.
I usually treat a wide range of people suffering from anxiety, but due to the Covid-19 outbreak I am offering additional online support to those suffering with anxiety.
I’m also giving away a free Acceptance, Relaxation and Hypnosis Accelerator in light of the Covid-19 outbreak to help people that may be struggling.
How to manage Coronavirus anxiety symptoms – From a therapist
C – Control what you can.
The Corona crisis and the effect it is having on us is not just physical. Many of us are dealing with economic, social, emotional and psychological challenges due to the widespread of this serious illness. The strain on the healthcare systems, communities and personal lives are very real and every person around the world will feel the effects somehow.
When we face such a crisis anxiety and fear are inevitable. Responding to uncertainty and danger in this way is completely natural and actually shows a healthy response. Fear and danger are good responses because they can give you the motivation to protect yourself and the intuition to care for others that are vulnerable. Our minds and bodies are preparing us to deal with a challenging situation. It’s a good thing!
I like to think of our feelings of fear and danger in times like these as a biological kick-up-the-back-side.
The problems arise when we start to get lost in ruminating and worrying about things things that are not in our control. Worrying about whether we’re going to become unwell, ruminating on whether we have washed our hands enough today and questioning what might happen in the future.
The list can go on.
While these thoughts and concerns are completely normal and natural, when the anxiety, fear and hopelessness becomes overwhelming, they stop being helpful or useful to us.
If you are feeling overwhelmed a simple remedy for this is to focus on what is in your control.
You cannot control the coronavirus but you can control your reaction to it. We can’t control the world economy, we can’t control the future and we most certainly can’t control other people.
Even if they are driving you mad in isolation!
We do however, have control over the way we react to our thoughts and feelings, and in turn can choose to alter our behaviours.
In other words we have a choice in how we react to challenging times in our lives. You can only control the way you react to your inner world. The real world will continue to spin regardless of whether you worry about it or not.
So focus on what’s in your control.
An unprecedented storm has swept it’s way across the world and it may feel like you’re in the eye of it for quite some time.
The thunder; the 6 o’clock news with yet more horrifying details of the virus.
The lightning; the shocking personal news in your life – someone you know being affected or a financial problem.
The rain; the million and one things you have to organise, plan and implement daily.
That’s a lot of stuff for one person to take in. Yet none of those things are directly in our control.
These storms can swirl around our minds and cause deep feelings of fear and anxiety. But we can drop the anchor and shine some light through the clouds with some simple techniques to practice at home.
O – Open up to your thoughts, feelings and sensations.
Being open to your thoughts and feelings is essentially spotting when those sticky thoughts arise and you notice when your muscles are tense.
Many clients ask me how to stop an anxiety attack or how to stop feeling anxious.
Sometimes thoughts stick. They are the particularly nasty ones that roll around your mind constantly and make you feel horrible.
If my clients are bothered by a thought that triggers their anxiety and fear, we practice acceptance.
Now there are many different acceptance based techniques but one I use a lot is cognitive and it is beautifully simple.
When a sticky thought occurs simply say “thanks mind” and move on with your day.
Seems almost trivial and insulting to be so simple but I assure it works. Showing yourself some compassion has a positive effect on overall mental health and wellbeing.
So when your mind says “oh ****! what if I loose my job, cant pay the rent, can’t feed the family, what if I run out of toilet roll? What if, what if, WHAT IF!!?!?!” Simply thank your mind for warning you of the danger, relax, redirect your attention and either begin problem solving with a calm and collected approach or accept the thing you are worrying about is out of your control.
R – Redirect your attention.
Redirecting your attention involves noticing how you are feeling and if you’re tense, redirecting yourself to relax.
Acquiring the ability to relax on demand is a super power. In fact, if it were a superpower it would definitely trump being able to see through walls and being invisible.
The incredible thing is we have this superpower built into our body thanks to millions of years of evolution.
It is THE most powerful tool for instant calm.
In your body you have two systems that regulate your stress and relaxation responses: Your ‘sympathetic nervous system’ (SNS), which regulates your response to dangerous or stressful situations and your ‘parasympathetic nervous system’ (PNS), which regulates your relaxation responses.
Anxiety attacks are the result of your sympathetic nervous system being active for long periods of time in your life and frequently peaking.
Breathing is a surefire way of activating your PNS.
One of my favourite and a very simple technique for lowering anxiety is belly breathing:
Simply breath in for five seconds, focussing on expanding your belly, and let the air fall out for seven seconds let the belly deflate.
Breath in for five. Hold. Breath out for seven.
Repeat for up to five minutes. Nothing complicated or some magical technique. Simple and very effective.
Practice this exercise whenever you have a spare minute in the day. Keep practicing until it because second nature to breath and relax on command.
Remember wherever your body goes, your mind soon follows…
O – Observe your actions.
N – Note down your values.
What makes you, you?
Jotting down our values or words and phrases that we associate ourselves as being is an extremely powerful way to connect with our true selves.
For example one of your values may be that you are giving to others. Another might be that you consider yourself trustworthy.
It’s easy in times like these to forget our values and act in ways that would seem alien to us outside of a crisis.
I charge you to note down some values you have of yourself and act on towards at least one of them today. If you are giving to others, act on that today and see how it makes you feel.
The point of this is to tap back into your ideal self and help you to act in the ways you want to in your life.
A – Acknowledge advice.
Listen to the advice of people that know more than us.
Now is a good time to exercise our trust in others and reside to the fact that we may have to adjust the way we live for the greater good.
I suggest following the advice and guidelines on the NHS website.
Plus I’ll see you on Netflix, until the dust settles.
I hope you found at least one thing useful while reading this and remember I’m giving away a free Acceptance, Relaxation and Hypnosis Accelerator to aid you.
All the best to you and your family and relax, everything’s out of control.
Dave Pearce – Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist
C = Control what you can.
O = Open up to your thoughts and feelings.
R = Redirect your attention.
O = Observe your actions.
N = Note down your values.
A = Acknowledge advice.
