Life has changed a lot in the past couple of weeks. In-person finals were canceled, many students went back home and all 10 weeks of spring term are being conducted remotely. The experience outside of school life is even more dramatic: We can’t leave our houses to see friends or family, food and toilet paper is increasingly out of stock in stores and every day seems to get scarier with the spread of the coronavirus.
The news has reflected this. Almost every channel and article for the past several weeks has been about the spread of COVID-19 and its effects on communities and businesses. Following the news is important, as proper social distancing and self-isolation actions are essential to flattening the curve and getting us back to normal life as soon as possible.
However, too much news can be a bad thing, especially when the news is as overwhelming as it currently is. Knowing the updated number of infected individuals or the impact this virus is having on the economy will not improve your ability to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. If you are washing your hands and staying inside, you are doing the most you can do to protect yourself and others.
Physical health seems to be most at stake in this pandemic, but mental health is also important to keep in check. Whether it is due to staying inside all the time, not being able to see friends or the constant intake of terrible news, the situation that COVID-19 has put us in can be both mentally and physically taxing.
If you find yourself dealing with COVID-19 anxiety, try turning off the news or putting down the newspaper. Knowing the numbers won’t increase your safety, and taking time away from the media could help your mental health. Don’t feel guilty if you feel like you can’t stay up-to-date with the daily Coronavirus updates — mental health is just as important.
If news about the virus is really getting to you, consider limiting time on social media or even deleting those apps. Putting down your phone is usually a good idea to help with mental health, but now is an especially good time to try a social media cleanse.
If you still feel anxious after avoiding the news, quality self-care time might help. Getting outside for a walk, with proper social distancing of course, can help you from going stir crazy. Exercising and stretching gets your blood pumping when it is easy to become lazy while staying inside. Whatever you do, make sure you are taking a little extra care of yourself these days. We are all doing our best right now to take care of each other, but it is important to take care of yourself as well.