Managing your anxiety

Managing your wellbeing
If news stories make you feel anxious or confused, think about switching off or limiting what you look at for a while.
Social media could help you stay in touch with people but might also make you feel anxious.
This may include people sharing news stories that you want to avoid, or posting their worries about the coronavirus.
Consider taking a break or limiting your time on social media.
You might decide to view particular groups or pages but not scroll through timelines or newsfeeds.

If you are feeling anxious
If you have panic attacks or flashbacks, it might help to plan a “safe space” in your home that you can go to.
You can also find ways to comfort yourself if you are feeling anxious.
For example, there are games and puzzles you can use to distract yourself and breathing exercises which may help.
The coronavirus is dominating headlines around the world.
While the media focus is on the impact on people’s physical health and what’s being done to prevent the spread of the disease, anxiety about the virus can also have an impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing.
The virus causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough or difficulty breathing.
The government said the current evidence was that most cases appeared to be mild.
But with blanket news coverage – including of deaths in other countries, whole towns being locked down abroad and stories of people being kept in quarantine or having to self-isolate for
weeks.
There is understandably a lot of anxiety about the virus.
The Government issued advice about what to do if you feel unwell, have been to any affected areas and has guidance on how to prevent the spread of disease.

• Next week’s edition: Don’t ignore your anxiety