Fight The Fear

Tiptoeing around in the dark of night, every sound is amplified. Shadows take shape and seem to move out of the corner of the eye. Silence itself has a sound. Anxiety, expectation, and fear of the unknown causes an adrenaline rush. The flight or fight response has been triggered.

The flight or fight response can be a good thing in moments of danger. It prepares us to react in whichever of the two methods is best for the present threat.

However, if we are never given a chance to step down from that mode of preparedness, our bodies suffer the consequences. We are then living in a state of “allostatic load” or chronically elevated levels of stress.

Chronic Stress is Dangerous

Experts have warned us for years about the dangers of chronic stress. The old expression “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” doesn’t even come close to the effect that a life without rest has on us.

Our current world condition is such that many of us have dealt with chronic stress and anxiety since we were old enough to vote. With not enough money to pay the bills, being overworked at our jobs and no time to kick back and socialize, most of us are living on borrowed time.

Then comes the year 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. If we weren’t already feeling stress, anxiety, and fear before, we certainly are dealing with it now. Most people have lost all stability in their lives for various reasons.

In many cases, jobs have been lost or put on hold, thus cutting off all sources of income. Other people have been separated from their only support systems, whether it be friends or family. Essential workers are working longer hours with greater risk to their own lives and that of their households.

Those infected by the virus are being forced to fight the illness and face their own mortality. Those who are hospitalized are separated from their loved ones, sometimes dying without anyone to hold their hands.

A New Normal

Stress, fear, and anxiety are normal reactions for the world as we know it in 2020. Anyone who says they aren’t feeling some of this is lying. Oddly enough, those of us who have lived with these issues all of our life are dealing much better with this new state of things. This has been our normal from the beginning.

However, we cannot continue to live this way without feeling the effect on us, mentally and physically. We can fight off the effects for a short amount of time, but if life continues to be as stressful as it has become, many of us are at risk for stress-induced deaths.

COVID-19 is not going away any time soon. We will have to learn to live with it, just as we have learned to live with colds, influenza, measles, strep throat and every other disease out there. It is now part of the world we live in.

Doomed To Live In Fear?

Are we going to live in fear for the rest of our lives? Should we be doomed to live filled with fear and anxiety? Will every moment be a moment of fight or flight? What can we do?

First of all, we have to remember that this is all new. None of us have ever dealt with this before. There have been pandemics. There have been viruses before. Mankind has had to fight diseases. But, this is uncharted territory. Anything new is scary.

Recognize that you can only control what you and your family are doing. You cannot take responsibility for the rest of the world and what they do. In your household, follow all the necessary guidelines and protective measures recommended. For some, this may include treating everyone as if they are infected.

Respect Others

Respect the fact that other people may not share your beliefs and interpretations of the situation. Also, respect the methods they have chosen to protect themselves. Even if you feel you are invincible and immune, be respectful of those who need to keep a safe distance away from you. It’s as much for their mental health as well as their physical health.

This pandemic will have a devastating effect on the physical health of many people. However, it will also affect the mental, emotional and financial health of even more people. Left unchecked, stress and anxiety will affect the physical health of those who never contracted the virus.

Since the onset of this pandemic, many of us are living in a state of fight or flight without relief. However, if we choose to remain living that way, we open ourselves up to weight gain, high blood pressure, problems sleeping, brain fog, weakened immune systems and more, all of which can make us more susceptible to illness.

What Should We Do?

How do we stop being afraid? What can we do to manage stress? Are there things we could be doing to help ourselves and others?

First of all, limit the news intake. Some news is necessary to know what’s going on. But, if we keep our mind on the pandemic we fuel the fear. Agree to watch only the morning and evening news recaps for necessary information.

Keep healthy as much as possible. Daily exercise and sufficient sleep are among the most important things we can do for our bodies. Now, more than ever, we need these things to fight off illnesses.

Fresh air is good for the lungs. Take advantage of sunny days. If you are unable to go for a long walk around the neighborhood, walk around your house or apartment building a few times in a day and breathe in the fresh air. Inside, practice deep-breathing exercises to maintain a state of calm.

Limit caffeine, alcohol and junk food. Caffeine can affect your sleep and your blood pressure. Alcohol will make depression worse. And junk food is self-explanatory.

Manage Your Stress

Say connected socially, but choose your contacts wisely. There are plenty of ways to connect using phones and computers. Now is a good time to catch up with those friends you promised to stay in touch with twenty years ago! But, limit your communication with those who bring you down or feed the fears. Your mental health is more important than holding onto a friendship that may cause you mental problems.

No matter how busy you think you are, make time for self-care, whatever that may mean to you. For me, it is playing with my dogs, writing, reading, and doing some kind of art. If you think you are too busy, you need it more than ever. You don’t need a lot of time, but you need regular time.

Finally, recognize that fear itself is not a bad thing. Some of it is necessary. There is truth in the belief that being too afraid or not afraid enough has real health consequences. We just don’t want to live in fear.

Life will go on as it always does. The world doesn’t stop. Time marches along as it always will. Will we be dragged along or will we have some control over where and how we go?