COVID-19: How to Stay Calm and Centered Amidst the Pandemic

As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to remain calm and not panic.

Today is our 27th day of enhanced community quarantine. I have not been outside of our yard since March 17. Only my husband is allowed to leave the house to buy food and other essential items. He can’t leave the house without his quarantine pass and mask. He’s only allowed to go to the public market on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. Lately, he’s been avoiding going to the public market, because even though we are strictly observing social distancing, some people are not.

We have been told by the authorities to stay in our homes in order to prevent the spread of the virus, but that does not mean that we should go crazy inside. To prevent panic, try to limit how much news you watch. Personally, I avoid fake news and the overhyped reporting that only propagates fear and anxiety. Get updates from reliable sources, and do not be that person who shares fake news. Take some time to verify what you’re sharing before hitting the share button. Google is free to use.

Avoiding contact with other people and washing your hands and staying home are things that you can do by disciplining yourself, but your ability to remain calm comes from within. That means you’ll have to take the necessary steps in reducing your stress and anxiety and promoting calmness while the virus runs its course.

Here are three of the best ways that you can stay calm and centered in times of COVID-19 panic!

Meditation & Mindfulness

So, you’re anxious and stressed as a result of the rapid spread of the virus. If you’ve never attempted meditation or any mindfulness techniques in the past, this is the perfect time to try them out and get some practice under your belt.

According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation can play a huge role in helping you maintain your mental and emotional health, even benefiting aspects of your physical health. Here’s what meditation can do for you.

• Greater outlook on life (positivity)
• Increased feelings of calmness
• Greater self-awareness
• Reduced levels of anxiety and stress
• Improved focus

It’s no secret that I work for a guy in the health and wellness space. Not too long ago, I was given the opportunity to take a course called the Ziva Technique. And yes, I learned a lot in those two weeks, but my greatest takeaway is that now I know how to manage stress.

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Emily Fletcher, the founder of Ziva Meditation, wrote a guest post for Ben Greenfield Fitness, and I highly recommend that you read that post. She also has a book called Stress Less, Accomplish More, which is available on Kindle, so you can easily get a hold of it.

Finding a Creative Outlet

This is a great time to try out some new (or old) creative hobbies. When you’re focused on building or creating something new, you’re reducing the amount of focus on the negativity surrounding you.

A creative outlet can be almost anything. Here are a few things you might want to try out (if you have the supplies in your home).

• Crocheting – of course, this is the first I would say!
• Knitting
• Embroidery
• Crafting
• Painting, coloring, or drawing
• Singing or playing musical instruments
• Taking photos or videos of things you enjoy
• Building something with things lying around the house
• Writing
• Puzzles
• Reading something and then writing an essay about it (yes, remember English 101 class?). This is a great way to take your mind off the world’s troubles.

I think everybody knows by now that I love crochet just as much as I love being a virtual assistant. In fact, I have created an opportunity for me during this COVID-19 pandemic to create and sell crocheted face masks. And I’ve even recorded a video of me playing the ukulele while singing It’s a Wonderful World.

Basically, the goal here is to find an activity or task that requires focus and makes you happy. You’ll never notice the passage of time when you’re having fun.

And if you don’t have a creative bone in your body, how about doing your spring cleaning?

Giving Back & Helping Others

Due to the enhanced community quarantine, what we can do to help others are limited. But we still can. Even if we do not belong to the essential work force.

The call for protective face shields, for example. I know at least a couple of crafters who participated in this drive. Too bad I don’t have acetate and foam to use, or I would have made some, too.

Fortunately, I was still able to do something, however little.

I joined the drive for crocheting ear savers for our frontliners. A friend in the crochet community posted a pattern and a call for crocheters to volunteer. All we need are buttons and lots of yarns. A have a few of the former, and lots of the latter. So I posted on my Facebook wall that I’m going to make those ear savers. A few hours after I posted, a barangay councilor messaged me that they want those ear savers. The following day, the Rotaract president of our town also requested some for the Municipal Health Office, and he sent me buttons!

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As of this writing, I have made around 50 ear savers, and I will continue to make them for as long as there is a need. I signed up with this group, Earsavers for Lifesavers. Do check out the page and see if you would like to volunteer in any capacity.

Final Thoughts

There’s really nothing we can do to cure or stop the spread of COVID-19 (except maybe by strictly following the enhanced community quarantine rules), but by being mindful and creative, we can stay calm and centered.

And we can take this opportunity to find ways we can serve and give back to our community, however little the help may be.