Practical Coping Mechanism during Covid 19

Let’s distinguish firstly between fear and anxiety, fear is something concrete with fear the threat is visible with anxiety it is abstract and non-visible like with the current Covid 19 virus in other words.

Anxiety is the response in the limbic system, concerned with emotion and motivation for living organisms (human) to survive the perceived vague unknown threat.

Anxiety is an irrational, persistent, intrusive and continuous perception.

The brain can't differentiate between fear (visible threat) and anxiety (perception of threat). In both cases, the brain will act in the same way to survive.

The body needs to be enriched with oxygen to either flight or fight in order to survive the perceived threat.

When the trigger gets activated in the limbic system the heart rate increases in order to enrich the blood with oxygen.

The feeling of severe anxiety presents itself as a heart attack but it is rather the overflow of oxygen in the body causing this. The increased heart rate and the enriched oxygen in the blood will flow via the veins to the muscles making a person feeling more potent to fight or flight. If this chemical reaction is not utilized it becomes counterproductive.

Therefore anxiety should be taken seriously and be treated as the chemical cocktail (noradrenaline) released in the limbic system could be dangerous leading to more serious conditions.

The symptoms of anxiety

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain (similar to heart attack)
• Sweaty Palms
• Pins and Needles
• Sleep deprivation
• Feeling of surrealism
• Confusion
• Dizziness

The emotional response is the feelings of despair, hopelessness, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and the loss of meaning and purpose of life.

The triggers

Experience difficulty with making decisions

Poor Judgement

Fear of leaving home

Eating disorder

Fear of wearing a mask during the lockdown

Fear of being without cigarettes

Fear of isolation

Financial implications /job loss etc.

What to do when you experience Anxiety

BREATH correctly: abdominal, nostril and mindful.

The body functions on balance and when anxiety is experienced the body is out of balance, the purpose of mindful breathing is to alter the chemical cocktail in a rest and digest mode.

Important self-care includes exercise, meditation, mindfulness, hobbies and social interaction via digital dimension during the lockdown period.

Therapy is very important and is obtainable via Online Systems like Skype, WhatsApp and Zoom.

For more information click on my profile picture above to contact me.

Photo by Tonik on Unsplash