From the world finding out during spring break that there was a global pandemic and that we would be quarantined until further notice, the presidential election coming up, and school starting back, it’s not hard to come to the conclusion that things have been changing rapidly. For most, change can bring stress, anxiety, and fear. How can anyone “fix” something as common as anxiety?

When it comes to stress, things as simple as talking about what’s stressing people out can help relieve some of the pressure. For others, they would need more than a quick chat to ease the mind. One thing to do when feeling overwhelmed would be to simply take a break. Leave everything alone, and do something enjoyable. Doing so would provide a much needed distraction and allow the brain to get a reset from what’s bothering it. Perhaps trying to organize things would help as well. Get, or make a planner in order to figure out when to do what’s needed to be done. This schedule would allow people to focus on one thing at a time and have far greater effect than one would think.

Sometimes it feels like there’s so much anxiety it’s drowning and there’s no life-raft in sight. When feeling anxious or worried, meditation can be a life-raft. Meditating slows down your brain waves, making your thoughts further away, leaving your mind with far less anxiety. More time between thoughts could also give the mind an opportunity to decide what’s worth thinking about without even knowing it. Listening to music could also have a soothing effect on the brain. Upbeat music would make people feel happier and more positive, sad or slower music would make one feel soothed, relaxed, and calm.

I’m sure everyone’s been scared and had fear brought upon by many things like heights, people, or even public speaking. Many have heard the phrase “imagine them in their underwear” when fear is brought up, but why would doing that work? Imagining people in their underwear is supposed to put the idea of embarrassment out of one head and places it onto those who are “in their underwear”. Thinking about that could get really awkward really fast. Instead, imagining a happy place would be better. Thinking about what brings you joy allows for calmness and peace of mind. It will help get rid of the negative thoughts that may be racing through the mind.

 While being stressed, anxious, or fearful is never fun, these are some ways to manage those pesky feelings. Use one or more of these tactics to calm the mind and relieve it of the pressure received when going out into a pandemic with a mask covering the face.