How to manage anxiety in uncertain times

Looking back on the last two years, I think most people would agree that their lives have been riddled with uncertainty. The constant unpredictability that the pandemic has created has disrupted our daily routines and significantly affected mental health. This has led to increased levels of stress and anxiety for many. 

Anxiety, by definition, is an irrational fear about something that may or may not happen. Normally, we can manage our anxiety by replacing our irrational thought patterns with thoughts that are logical and based in reality. But happens if our anxiety is not completely irrational? How do we manage when the thoughts that are creating our anxiety are logical and realistic?

The first step is acknowledging that anxiety manifests both physically and emotionally. Our physical and emotional well-being are interconnected, so it is important for us to recognize both the physical and emotional symptoms we are experiencing due to heightened anxiety.

The second step is to focus on what we can control rather than stressing out over everything that is out of our control. While we cannot control what is going in the world or other people's actions, we can control how we choose to respond to these things. By giving ourselves a sense of control, no matter how small it may seem in the grand scheme of things, it can help us reign in our anxiety and bring it down to a more manageable level.

The third step is taking meaningful action that will allow us to process our feelings of anxiety in a positive, healthy manner. Whether that means talking to friends or family about our struggles, going to therapy, engaging in physical exercise, meditating etc., the important thing to keep in mind is that anxiety will not just go away by ignoring it - we need to work through it.

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