While “stay well” has become the default sign off in the age of coronavirus, “it is really important to say ‘stay sane’, too”, says Lucy Atcheson, the psychologist and author of Anxiety Attacks. As situations change faster than we can process, and we try to muddle through, here are some anxiety-busting coping strategies, whether you have one minute to spare or a yawning, self-isolating fortnight.
One minute
“Breathe yourself calm,” says the psychologist Linda Blair. “Inhale slowly through your nose, counting to three, hold your breath, and then breathe out for six counts.” Ten of those, she says, will reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and boost feelings of wellbeing. Atcheson recommends sitting or standing with your feet hip width apart and inhaling, holding and exhaling for four counts each, breathing through your nose, especially if you’re feeling panicky, because “you cannot hyperventilate if you’re breathing through your nose”.
Five minutes
“Learn a new word and use it,” says Blair. “Look at the word of the day on the Merriam-Webster website.” This simple act of self-improvement, she says, will make you feel more in control and confident about your ability to cope, “with a sense of, ‘Yes, I am moving forward,’” even though it’s not consciously tied to the current health crisis. Equally, five minutes is plenty of time to try a mindfulness meditation.
In fact starting small is best, says Karen Atkinson, the cofounder of MindfulnessUK and the chair of the British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches. “It is like building your physical muscles; you start with low weight and reps, and then you build up.” Go outside, she suggests, and try a practice called taking in the good, “which really helps your psychological, emotional wellbeing. It’s springtime, so if you notice a beautiful flower coming up, savour the moment, and let everything else drop away. Just be with the physical and emotional experience of looking at the flower, or a bird perhaps. It takes 20 seconds for a positive experience to be registered in your brain, so stopping and feeling the air on your skin, and using your senses to be present helps to calm down any anxiety.”
10 minutes
“Write a letter to yourself about all the good things you’re doing and how well you’re doing,” says Atcheson. The way to frame it, she says, is: “I’m going to write this letter to my best friend, who happens to be me, and I need to cheer them up. That really challenges the critical voice in your head and a lot of anxiety comes from not having sufficient faith in our own abilities.” If letter-writing isn’t your thing, try a gratitude journal, as Blair describes: “Write down three things that you’re grateful for. You may think at the beginning: ‘I haven’t got anything.’ Oh, yes you do. Spend 10 minutes finding three things. It makes you feel safe.”
20 minutes
Two words: power nap. “When we get anxious, we start thinking emotionally, and we don’t use our logic any more,” says Blair. “The best way to regain perspective, and put logic back in the driving seat is to take a little break away from everything.” Lie down on the floor, on your back. Bend your knees and drop your hands to your side. Set your clock for 20 minutes or ask someone to tell you when the time is up. Close your eyes, says Blair, “and start the breathing that you did at one minute. And that is all you do.” You do not have to fall asleep, “but what happens is the thoughts that are running through your head neutralise. They are there, but they don’t have power.” At the end of 20 minutes, roll slowly on to your side, sit up and then go back to whatever you were doing.
14 days
To avert the risk of being overcome with worry, it is important to structure this time so life still has purpose, meaning and joy, says Atcheson. “It’s possible with books, box sets, online exercise, trying a new recipe, talking to people who we don’t normally have time to talk to.” Build in healthy routines, starting each day with deep breathing, then exercise, and ending the day similarly – “not with high-adrenaline exercise but yoga.”
Martin D Clark, the editor of Om magazine, recommends Yoga with Adriene on YouTube, and many teachers and studios are temporarily moving their classes live online, from Emma Tilley in Gloucestershire to Yoga at the Mill in Chelmsford. And remember the importance of microlifts – “small, almost imperceptible lifts throughout the day”, says Atcheson. “You may usually get one from grabbing coffee in your favourite cafe. Do something that makes you feel good for a moment.”
Numbing the brain with mindless social media scrolling, she says, can allow depression and despair to slip in. Blair advises getting a pot for your windowsill and planting some seeds. “Things such as mustard and cress are good,” she says, “because you’ll see things coming up in a couple of days. And at the end of 15 days, you can eat them.”