Thinking Out Loud: Anxiety

Be Selfish, and Help Others — Helping others is a known source of happiness.

The world is going through an upheaval due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Most of us have never faced this kind of situation in our lifetimes. Nobody knows how things will turn out. This is leading to anxiety about our health, well-being of our loved-ones, our financial situation, our future, and so on.

Here are a few things which are helping me cope with my anxieties:

1) The Rule of One

Each day, prioritize and handle one problem at a time.

Some of us could already be suffering from an illness, or facing scarcity of money, or even (as is happening to someone I know) getting evicted from our homes.

Trying to solve all your problems at the same time tends to overwhelm. Instead, figure which problem affects you the most that day, then focus on it alone.

If you are ill, just focus on getting better. If you are unable to find food, forget the rest and focus on food. If getting evicted, first focus on finding shelter — other problems can wait.

One day, one problem at a time.

2) Stay healthy — mentally and physically.

When forced into a restricted lifestyle, it is easy to get lethargic — both physically and mentally. This can worsen anxiety.

For mental health, pick activities which can take your mind away from your anxiety. Meditate, pray, play games, pursue a hobby, clean the house — whatever works for you.

For physical health, Surya Namaskar (Solar Salutation) is my favorite activity as it doesn’t require too much space or time. If you can’t do it, at least do few stretching exercises.

3) Last, but not the least — be selfish, and help others.

Helping others is a known source of happiness. Help elderly, donate to the needy. The best way to deal with anxiety is taking thoughts away from yourself and turning it towards others’ well-being.

I hope this helps while dealing with your depression and anxiety.

This is our fight for survival. Stay Strong! Cheers!