Keeping your sanity intact during pandemic

The new coronavirus epidemic has plunged the world into uncertainty. The news about the pandemic is uninterrupted and makes people feel cruel and ruthless. All of these have brought harm to people's mental health, especially those who have suffered from anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Therefore, how should we maintain our mental health?

Anxiety with the pneumonia epidemic is understandable, but for many people, this may make existing mental health problems worse. Therefore, when the World Health Organization (WHO) issued recommendations on the need to protect personal mental health during the outbreak of the new cronavirus, the move was welcomed on social media.

As Nicky Lidbetter, a representative of Anxiety UK, an organization focused on anxiety disorders in the United Kingdom, explained, fear of losing control and intolerance of uncertainty are common characteristics of many anxiety patients. Therefore, it is understandable that many people suffering from anxiety disorders are currently facing challenges.


Rosie Weatherley, a spokesperson for the mental health charity "Mind", said that many anxiety disorders stem from worrying about the unknown and waiting for things to happen. From a macro perspective, the current COVID-19 epidemic is consistent with These conditions.

So, how can we protect our mental health?

Limit the number of news and attention to what you read



Staying away from news sites and social media for a long time helped him control his anxiety symptoms. He also found that support hotlines run by mental health charities (such as AnxietyUK) are very useful.
Limiting the time you spend reading or viewing information will not make you feel better. Maybe you should decide how to check the news at a certain time;
There is a large amount of misinformation spreading around, insisting on obtaining information from trusted sources such as the government or the NHS website.
Discontinue social media or turn off information reminders
Alison from Manchester suffers from anxiety. At the age of 24, she felt compelled to understand and study the situation of the epidemic. But at the same time, she also knew that social media was one of the reasons that triggered her anxiety.

She said: "A month ago, I clicked on the topic tags related to the epidemic and saw some unconfirmed conspiracy theories and other spam messages that made me feel very anxious. I felt very desperate and started to cry."


These two weeks may be a full 14 days. Because you can browse and view the to-do list, and you can also read the books you have always wanted to read.

Now, she pays great attention to the social media accounts she reads online and avoids clicking on hashtags related to the new crown virus. She also worked hard to stay away from social media or watching TV and spend time reading books.

Try not to click on keywords or accounts that may trigger the notification of epidemic information on Twitter, unfollow or mute the account;
If you are overwhelmed by the messages in the WhatsApp group, please mute them or hide the relevant posts on Facebook.
Wash your hands: but don't overdo it



The charity OCD Action stated that patients’ concerns have begun to focus on the new coronavirus pandemic.

For people with obsessive-compulsive disorder and certain types of anxiety disorders, they are often told to wash their hands, which may not be easy to hear.

"Because We Are Bad" is a book about his experience of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The author of the book, Lily Bailey, believes that fear of being infected has always been the main symptom of OCD. Therefore, the suggestion to wash your hands frequently may make people recover from OCD.

"It's really not easy, because I now have to do something that I have been avoiding before," Bailey said.

"I do strictly follow the handwashing recommendations, but it is really difficult, because for me, the use of soap and disinfectant in the past was associated with addiction."

Avoid exhaustion

The global pandemic of the new crown epidemic may last for several weeks or months. It is important to have "downtime" and get as much exposure to nature and sunlight as possible. Exercise, eat well and stay hydrated.

"Anxiety UK" (Anxiety UK) recommends practicing the so-called "Apple Technique" to deal with anxiety and worries:



Awareness: Attention and awareness of the "uncertainty" feeling began to ferment in the heart;
Pause: Don't react as usual. The choice is totally unresponsive. Stop and breathe;
Step back: Tell yourself that it feels purely because of worry, and that the need for a sense of "certainty" is not helpful and unnecessary. This is just a "thought or feeling"; don't believe all your thoughts. Thoughts are not statements or facts;
Step back: Tell yourself that it feels purely because of worry, and that the need to have a sense of "certainty" is not helpful and unnecessary. This is just a "thought or feeling"; don't believe all your thoughts. Thoughts are not statements or facts;
Let go: let go of thoughts or feelings: everything will pass. You don't have to respond to these thoughts and feelings. You can imagine them like bubbles or floating away in the clouds.
Explore: Explore the present moment, because everything is fine at this moment. Pay attention to the breath and the sensation of breathing. Pay attention to the ground under your feet. Look around and pay attention to what you see, what you hear, what you can touch, and what you smell. Do it now. Then, turn your attention to other things, to those things that need to be noticed, or to the things you were anxious about doing "before", or to do other things, to focus on these things.