When Anxiety Takes Over: A Guide for Right Now
We are all facing uncertainty right now. Coronavirus is spreading. Schools are closing. We're isolated at home, anxious about what comes next.
The news is feeding fear. Your mind is racing with worst-case scenarios. Your chest feels tight. You can't stop checking updates.
I know this feeling. Eighteen months ago, I hit rock bottom with severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. My mind destroyed me from within.
Here is an article on what I learnt to guide you at this time: we cannot control what's happening around us, but we can absolutely control how we respond to it.
"It is not what happens to you, it is how you respond to it." – Epictetus
@dtopkin1
First, Understand How You're Wired
Right now, we're all responding differently based on our wiring.
Some of you are in hyper-action mode – organizing, planning, controlling every variable. Others feel paralyzed, scrolling news feeds compulsively. Some minimize the threat. Others catastrophize every symptom.
If you need structure, the lack of clear timelines is unbearable. If you're naturally anxious, the ambiguity feeds your worst fears. If you're extroverted, isolation drains you. If you're internal, you're struggling alone.
There's no "right" way to respond. Just notice: how are you reacting right now?
Your Monkey Mind Is Lying to You
Your brain is wired to spot danger by replaying past experiences. When faced with uncertainty, it fills in the blanks with irrational thoughts.
Right now, your mind might be screaming: "What if I get sick and there's no hospital bed? What if I lose my job? What if my parents get infected?"
These thoughts trigger real physical responses – racing heart, shallow breathing, chest tightness. Your body can't tell the difference between imagined and real threats.
Here's what this looks like: You read a headline about rising infections. Your heart races. You imagine yourself sick and alone. You grab your phone, google symptoms, check news again, text friends. Hours pass in this anxious loop – and nothing has actually happened to you.
Or you wake with a headache. Immediately: "Is this coronavirus?" You check your temperature. Normal. But now you're hyperaware of every sensation. The anxiety itself creates physical symptoms, which feeds more anxiety.
When this happens, assume by default these thoughts are not serving you.
What Actually Helps (Try This Now)
The natural response to uncertainty is control. This is why shelves are empty. Panic-buying calms the Monkey Mind temporarily.
But here's what neuroscience shows: doing nothing is actually more effective. Let thoughts and emotions move through you like waves.
Try this right now:
Sit comfortably. Close your eyes.
Breathe in through your nose: 1... 2... 3... 4.
Hold: 1... 2... 3... 4.
Exhale through your mouth: 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6.
Repeat three times.
As thoughts arise, and they will, simply notice them. You could be thinking: "There is worry about money. There's fear about my parents."
Don't judge. Don't push away. Just observe like clouds passing. They come. They go. You remain.
The space between thoughts? That's where your peace lives.
Name It to Tame It
When anxiety rises, name the emotion out loud:
"I'm feeling scared about my parents' health." "I'm feeling anxious about money." "I'm feeling lonely without social contact."
Acknowledge it. But don't go into the story. Simply let it be.
Emotion is energy in motion. Instead of grabbing hold and ruminating, let the feeling pass. Focus elsewhere. Be present. Breathe.
This is harder with anxiety. But if you try it, you'll see they eventually pass.
You Have More Control Than You Think
Right now, in March 2020, everything giving you stability is shifting. Your routines are disrupted. Your connections are limited. Your future is uncertain.
What if this forced pause is an opportunity to learn skills that will serve you long after this crisis passes?
The virus will spread at its own pace. Policies will change. Economic impacts will unfold. All of that is outside your control.
But how do you show up in your own mind? That is entirely within your control.
Neuroscience proves we can rewire our brains by choosing different thoughts and creating new habits of mind. You're not stuck with these thought patterns.
Remember:
Feeling negative emotions is okay – you're human
Breathe through emotions and observe them in stillness
Be present – it diffuses the racing mind
Manage your mind, don't let it control you
Calm and stillness are your superpowers right now
What to Do This Week
Notice:
What thoughts is your Monkey Mind creating about the future?
Can you observe those thoughts without believing them?
What would shift if you let one anxious thought pass like a wave?
When can you practice three deep breaths and simply be present?
You have more control than you think to feel better right now. Start there.
If you are curious about how to support yourself in this time of crisis, follow me on LinkedIn and visit The Self-Science Lab for more info.
Join my Reset and Rise weekly workshops or book a discovery call to see if 1:1 coaching might support your transition.
Lauren Cartigny, an ICF certified Professional Coach
Lauren specializes in individual, leadership, team, and organizational coaching, and is the founder of The Self-Science Lab Ltd, a community of conscious professionals on a self-discovery journey to transform the quality of their work and home lives.