How are you coping with the coronavirus

[Snell90]

Hi all how are you coping with all that's going on with the coronavirus? I personally feel pretty anxious. How do you cope with feelings of anxiety?

[Teresa_K_S Volunteer]

Hi Snell90,

Yes it is an anxious time. I have a few things I do which help.

Now, normally my go to for anxiety or low mood is to spend time outdoors but we are limited on that now! However, if you can fit in one form of exercise outdoors I would put that at the top of your list. It will release good endorphins and help you feel tons better.

I have started limiting how much news I watch and cutting down on social media.

Breathing is an excellent exercise especially for panic attacks. Breathing is the only physical part of anxiety that we can control. Google breathing exercises to make sure you are doing it properly all the way into your diaphragm.

I get a lot of muscle tension in my neck shoulders and back and consequently get some horrible tension headaches. Now I would normally advocate visiting a chiropractor. Mine is fab. However with social distancing a visit to a chiropractor wouldn't be recommended.

So, I ask my husband to massage out knots. I also do progressive muscle relaxing exercising. There are some on you tube you could follow. Stretching and yoga is also fab for this.

Try to do something nice for yourself each day. Also we have a tendency to ruminate on the worst possible scenarios. Try think of the best possible outcomes as a distraction for your thoughts

Hope these ideas help

All the best

Teresa x

[Pikorua Volunteer]

Hello Snell90

I just can resonate what Teresa has been saying...maybe some soothing words will help.

I, too suffer with anxious moments.

Take good care.

“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed."

Kitty O’Meara

[Jenskygazer Volunteer]

Hello Snell 90

Yes, so hard to work with anxiety. It's so helpful to share approaches. Your message and Teresa_K_S and Pikora's messages really really resonate with me too. Like Teresa mentioned I've been doing breathing exercises. I'm finding these really helpful, I'm trying to do 20 mins in the morning and 20 mins in the afternoon - I never get to 20 mins, I don't know how long I do it for as I don't time it as I'd find that stressful! But I'm finding it really nice, not following a certain count of time for the breathing, I'm finding breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth helpful, but every one'll find a different way. Also, yes totally me too to limiting social media. I had a massive panic about it on Tuesday. I find WhatsApp really stressful. So I turned my phone off. And that helped imensely. I had a night when I didn't write any messages, just went to bed early when I could, and I had a really good night's sleep. Lily Beth mentioned such a helpful link to Joe Wickes' Body Coach Work Out. We do this at 9am every morning with our daughter Josie. It's hard work and totally knackering! And really set us up for the day, and helps the next day too. I'm finding this really helpful - and it's fun - a lovely way to start the day- thank you so much for mentioning on here LilyBeth!

I really hope you are able to find ways that help, it's different every day isn't it? But I'm definitely finding the breathing, each day a little, is helping. Sending very best wishes to you, Jen xxx

[coffeemom2]

I’ve been positive until my boyfriend told me that when he breathes deeply his lungs hurt and he’s been coughing. No fever though, I’m checking a lot. I’m trying to be positive but I do get anxious about this. If he gets it then I’ve got it because I kiss him and share things with him. And then our kids.... how would they not get it? And if we were both down, what would we do, Ive no one else to help with the kids as my parents are old. This doesn’t affect kids so badly but my little 3 year old is still just a toddler. Due to the postpartum anxiety and medications I only nursed 5 weeks, despite her being excellent at breastfeeding and me having tons of milk. I always have blamed the fact that she gets sick worse than my older one due to her not have been breastfed a lot. I guess I’m just jumping to too many conclusions. In here no dr will test you unless it’s really bad bc there aren’t a lot of tests, and they say stay home unless you have trouble breathing. So I guess just wait and see and stay positive, as freaking out won’t help. I do jog/walk by myself in a non crowded area for an hour every day. I think it forces me to breathe deeply. I feel perfectly healthy, just a little scared.

[Lilybeth Volunteer in reply to coffeemom2]

Hello coffeemom2

Good to hear from you. I'm sorry to hear you're feeling a little scared and your partner isn't feeling well. I think our thoughts and worries can escalate when we are confined to home? So here in the UK, at the moment, it's good that we are allowed out to exercise, giving us a chance to breathe as you are too. As you say, it's best to wait and see and try to stay positive, although not always easy.

Try to park your guilt about not breastfeeding your toddler years ago. You had no choice at the time. Due to PP years ago I was only able to bottle feed my sons but they are both healthy all these years later.

I hope your partner's health improves. Thinking of you .... stay safe and take good care of yourself.

[Ellie_at_APP Partner in reply to coffeemom2]

Hi coffeemom

How are you? And your husband? I just wanted to write to let you know I’m thinking of you. I’m not surprised you’re feeling quite anxious during this time and especially with your husband not feeling that well. It’s understandable you’re worrying about how you might cope if you both got ill.

Perhaps try to focus on the things you can do and probably all stuff you know about already, such as sleeping in separate beds; cleaning surfaces; if you can, he uses one bathroom and you use another; he uses one specific set of cutlery / cups etc. I imagine you know all this already.

I hope you can find a way to manage the understandable anxiety. I find having some kind of routine during these times helpful. And trying to do things I enjoy , it’s great you can go out for a run each day.

I’m sorry you feel sad about not breastfeeding your youngest. I know so many of us have the same sadness (guilt?) but of course it really wasn’t our fault, and we fought to be well (including taking the medication we had to take) in order to be well for our children. I didn’t breastfeed my son either in the end (when I came to from the psychosis he was on a bottle, and had a dummy which I had never intended to use), I did feel sad but he really is fine now, and more importantly has a mummy who was there for him and had a bond with because I took medication to get well.

Take care, know you can write on here anytime of course

Ellie x

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello Snell90

I hope you found the replies here helpful and wonder how you are coping with your anxiety now? Two years is not long into recovery from PP so take good care of yourself.