Nashville Tornadoes, Coronavirus & Ways To Help Manage Your Anxiety
We are overwhelmed and deeply saddened by the loss of lives and the devastating damage to homes, businesses, schools and churches in our communities, as a result of the tornadoes that touched down in the early morning hours on March 3rd in Davidson, Putnam and Wilson counties. Some members of our Nashville Psych Community have tragically lost their homes and others have lost friends. During times like these, we cling to each other with heavy hearts and a shared sense of shock and powerlessness.
Natural disasters are a reminder of our lack of control over the world around us. Not surprisingly, reported cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), can have similar effects. A few days ago, the first case in Williamson County was announced and schools were closed for deep cleaning. As of today, there are 6 confirmed cases in Tennessee, five of which are in Middle Tennessee.
To say it’s been a rough time for Nashville and Middle Tennessee is putting it mildly. Every single one of us has been impacted in one way or another. However, for individuals with a history of anxiety, these can be particularly challenging times.
External Threats Trigger The Body’s Threat Response
Whether it be fear of future tornadoes or fear of exposure to the Coronavirus, a sense of loss of control about external events can trigger emotional memories from the past – memories when individuals felt similarly unsafe or powerless. Trauma lives in the body. This is true whether we are talking about natural disasters, contagious diseases, or developmental trauma, such as emotional abuse or neglect. While memories can be conscious, they can also operate behind the scenes, triggering the body’s response to a threat (flight, fight or freeze) and individuals can begin to behave in ways that are similar to when they felt a lack of agency or a sense of unsafety.
Thankfully, there are a number of techniques that can be used to help address symptoms of stress and anxiety.
Here are some tips to help you manage anxiety:
Separate Fact From Fiction About COVID-19
One way to gain a sense of calm and to feel more in control of the situation is get the information you need – and to take the appropriate action. We recommend sticking to reputable sources of information, like the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Follow their advice. No more and no less. Do what you can to prepare and then do your best to just notice when you feel like there’s more you should be doing to prepare. Sometimes that’s just anxiety doing its job of protecting us from danger. Acknowledging that you are feeling anxious and that it’s perfectly normal to feel that way right now is half the battle. Accept that it serves a purpose, but do your best not to believe everything it tells you. Take on the role of the observer and notice how you are feeling and responding.
Limit Your Exposure To The News
We are so grateful to our local news channels for being on the front lines and for sharing important resources with our communities. I don’t know where we’d be if we lacked access to pertinent information shared by our local media sources. That said, if watching the news all day is causing you additional stress and anxiety, limiting your daily exposure to once or twice a day is recommended.
Help Others When You Can
One way to redirect your attention from your anxiety is to focus on doing something for someone else. Research has shown that by helping others, we are actually improving our own mental health and well-being. Doing something positive for someone else can reduce one’s sense of powerlessness, decrease stress and actually even improve our physical health. Here are some local options for volunteering or donating: Hands on Nashville, Community Resource Center, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Gideon’s Army/Rebuild North Nashville, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.
Social Distancing & Mental Health
“Social Distancing” is a term used by public health experts to describe actions taken to slow or stop the spread of highly contagious disease, which may include staying home, avoiding physical contact with others such as shaking hands, etc. We are being asked to do our part in slowing the spread of this virus by taking steps to isolate ourselves. This can be difficult for us emotionally because humans are hardwired to connect with other humans. During this time, we strongly encourage you to regularly communicate via telephone, tablet or computer with friends and family, unless, of course, their own unmanaged anxiety or poor boundaries make you feel worse.
Employ Radical Self-Care
Self-care looks different for different people. For you, this may be taking a brisk walk outside or enjoying a hot bath at the end of the day. For others, it may be watching the latest Marvel movie on Netflix, meditating for ten minutes, or cutting down on alcohol or caffeine.
These days, we all have long to-do lists. Ask yourself if every item on your task list is absolutely urgent or if it can wait to allow time for self-care. If kids can be a barrier, let them spend a few minutes watching TV so you can enjoy some quiet time. You will be a better parent if you take better care of yourself – and they will survive the brief media exposure. Read more on how imperfect parents make well-adjusted kids.
Sleep Like It’s Your Job
Sleep is also self-care, for sure, but we think that sleep deserves its own category because it is just that important. Sleep and anxiety have an interesting relationship; lack of sleep can contribute to anxiety and anxiety can contribute to lack of sleep. Simple ways to improve your sleep include limiting screen time at night, meditation and yoga, reading before bed, exercising during the day, limiting caffeine and alcohol and using calming essential oils.
Incorporate Self-Compassion
One of our favorite guided meditations is from Kristin Neff, a leader in the area of self-compassion. During hard times, we can be hardest on ourselves for not perfectly managing our lives. No one is perfect. Not even close. The sooner we can get in touch with compassion for ourselves, the better for our mental health. Try to give yourself a break; it is perfectly normal to not feel ok right now. As an extension of self-compassion, consider how you are talking to yourself.
Continue Going To Therapy
Maybe we are biased, but while some regular activities may be disrupted by natural disasters or the spread of a contagious virus, we believe that therapy should ideally not be one of them. For individuals who are sick or who are quarantined for one reason or another, we offer secure video sessions from the comfort of your home.
We Believe In Nashville
Before signing off, I’d like to express how impressed we are with the way the Nashville community takes care of its own people. Nashville has the kindest and hardest working people. Where else, within hours of learning of the devastation, do neighbors roll up their sleeves and start the work of rebuilding? We are beyond inspired by the overwhelming response from community members who have personally volunteered with the tornado cleanup, purchased supplies for families and neighborhoods in need, and those who have donated to local organizations who are on the front lines.
Nashville, we believe in you now more than ever. Together, we will persevere.
Warmly,
Dan
