For a minute there, it felt like the pandemic was over. Now, after a large percentage of people remain unvaccinated and the highly contagious Delta variant making the rounds within the U.S., the virus is all we can talk about..again. Despite the fact that COVID-19 numbers are nowhere close to what they used to be during the height of the pandemic, a sense of anxiety is growing.
More than half of new COVID-19 infections are credited to the Delta variant. Since this variant is much more infections, people who aren’t vaccinated are getting more and more sick, increasing the number of hospitalizations and deaths. That, paired with the fact that people are returning to their normal lives and relaxing their safety measures, has resulted in growing COVID-19 cases and growing anxiety.
Here’s what you can do to temper these feelings:
What can you do to stay safe?
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Sometimes, when things feel crazy and anxiety-inducing, it helps to regain control. Go through the basics of what you can do right now to stay safe: get vaccinated, avoid crazy large crowds, and wear your face mask when in an indoor space where there’s lots of foot traffic. Enforce some boundaries with people who aren’t vaccinated.
You should continue to live your life
If you’re vaccinated and new cases are making you anxious, still try your best to live your life. Visit outdoor restaurants or bars and meet up with friends and family you haven’t seen over the pandemic. While it will feel anxiety-inducing at first, it’s important to regain a sense of normalcy, especially if we’ll be living with this virus for some time.
Don’t over-consume COVID-19 information
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While doomscrolling isn’t a great option, it’s sometimes inevitable. Still, try your best to not ramp up your anxiety by reading about the thing that is making you extremely anxious. While knowing the rate of COVID-19 spread in your community is important, it’s also important to manage your anxiety. Put a cap on how much COVID-19 information you consume and distract yourself with other things. Make sure to leave your house at least once a day to go for a walk, meet up with a friend or enjoy the weather.
