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Are you worried about "returning to normal"? It's been a long, scary, miserable two years but there's a glimmer of hope. COVID numbers are way down and life is starting to get back to normal. But experts keep telling us the pandemic isn't over, and there's that Omicron variant out there. Are you finding yourself overly anxious about going back to work, or to a restaurant, or just hanging out with friends? You might be suffering from "health anxiety." Here are a few ways to try to deal with it, from Today:
- Check the facts to see if your anxiety is proportional to your actual risk. For example, if you haven't been around a ton of people and you get spring allergies, that sniffle probably isn't COVID.
- Set limits on the amount of information you seek out. Endlessly doomscrolling through COVID information is more likely to bring on anxiety than to relieve it.
- Stick to reputable, reliable sources of information. Your best bet is to talk to your doctor about the real risks.
- Ground yourself with mindfulness exercises. Connect with the present reality rather than always worrying about what's coming.