Anxieties and Fears arising from the Current Covid-19 Pandemic

(This article is NOT about the diagnosis, treatment and management of Covid-19 symptoms. The article however provides advice and support about the possible anxieties and fears arising out of this current pandemic. )

Living with a Psychological Pandemic

The natural state of our lives has been over-turned as a result of the current situation we are now experiencing with Covid-19.

For most of us, we have not lived through such a challenging and anxious time. We are not only subject to the restrictions of isolation, but we are all having to come to terms with the impact of Covid-19. It has been said that we are facing both a psychological and an infectious disease pandemic which is affecting how we live our lives, our emotions, our relationships, and our feelings towards ourselves and others.

A lot of you may be feeling emotional, stressed and worried, underpinned by continued levels of uncertainty about the future. Levels of “health anxiety” have increased dramatically as a result of the nature of Covid-19. And no wonder… we are bombarded daily by bad news fuelling our levels of anxiety, stress and worries - not only of ourselves but of our loved ones

Worries, doubts, and fears dominating our life constantly, can also have a detrimental effect on us physically, producing symptoms such as shallow breathing, palpitations, and digestive upsets. It is important to acknowledge that it is ok to feel like this way and that everyone will react differently to these challenging times. Remember that this situation is temporary and for most of us these feelings will pass.

But whilst this challenging time can place enormous stresses on our bodies and minds, there are a number of ways in which we can look after both our physical and mental wellbeing.

There is a range of self-help, practical strategies you can use to help overcome the physical and mental effects of excessive anxiety. However, do not underestimate that homeopathy, lifestyle changes and nutrition can all help in reducing our anxieties during this time.

Homeopathy and Anxiety

Homeopathy can play an enormous positive role in restoring and maintaining a state of balance and harmony during these troubled times. When we look for remedies our aim is to match the remedy picture to that of the person.

The mental and emotional symptoms which we are now seeing at the moment, and which are noted in our homeopathic literature include some of the following:

• Fear of bad news

• Fear of contagious epidemics

• Fear of public places

• Fear of Infection

• Fear of crowds

• Fear of the health of loved ones

• Fear of being alone

• Fear of epidemics

• Fear of germs

• Fear of being incurable

• Obsessive Compusive Disorder

• Insecurity

• Worries of financial security

• Desire to be always washing hands

• Agoraphobia

It is so important to look after and nurture our mental health but sometimes we need help. This is the great benefit of our homeopathic remedies. They can have a real positive impact on reducing our anxiety and stress levels.

Lifestyle

Managing and looking after aspects of how we live our lives can have a significant impact on the our heath. The following are just some ideas to help keep us healthy and relieve stress and anxiety levels:

• Ensure plenty of good quality sleep and rest

• Try to avoid any unnecessary stress as this can have a detrimental impact on our immunity levels

• Try relaxation / meditation exercises. If meditation isn’t your thing - try to just relax your body and mind for a few minutes
  

• Be kind to others. Research shows that acts of kindness increase the hormone oxytocin which helps to stimulate our immune systems

• Exercise - studies show that exercise has an anti-inflammatory influence and improves our body’s defences and boosts immunity
  

• Actions such as Skin Brushing every morning wakes up the lymph system - our own detoxifying mechanism. Finish with a cold shower to invigorate and stimulate our immune response