Three tips for tackling worry during COVID-19

The pandemic has brought on a lot of uncertainty and that can sometimes cause stress and worry.

According to MindBeacon™, provider of one of the leading digital mental health therapy services BEACON®, worrying can cause anxiety.

How can you try to help control your worry? MindBeacon recommends three key tactics to reduce daily worrying.

1. Recognize the difference between problem solving and worrying

Worrying and problem solving look the same at the beginning. Worrying is about risk management – the first stage of problem solving. You have to recognize there’s a problem before you can focus on problem solving.

Problem solving feels productive and results in active coping, solutions and reduced anxiety. Worrying just keeps looping. It’s non-productive and increases anxiety.

Pay attention to when you’re worrying and try to classify it as either problem solving or worrying. Recognize one as being useful and the other as something to limit.

2. Limit ‘checking’ related to worrying

The more you check, the more you worry. Checking the news constantly may help you feel more in control or give you some immediate relief, but it only reinforces your anxiety.

One way to reduce anxiety and worry is to reduce your safety behaviours. For example, try checking the news less often. At first it will be hard and make you more anxious, but then it will get easier.

3. Practice worry time

Set aside specific times each day for worrying. If you find yourself worrying outside of that ‘worry time,’ tell yourself you have to stop because it’s not worry time.

You can even write down the worry if you want so that you don’t forget it before worry time. And if you forget it by worry time, was it really a worry?

Follow these three tips next time you find yourself worried or fearful.