Anxiety and panic around Omicron? Try these 6 ways to calm your nerves

As we wereAs we began to move through our lives and navigate through the ‘new normality’, a shocker entered our lives again – a new version of Covid-19 called the Omicron. The number of cases seems to be only growing. This filled us with severe anxiety and panic over thoughts like, “Is it more transferable or won’t it be so severe? Will this cause death? ”The questions are endless.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that existing vaccines will be effective against the new variant. But because it is necessary in this reguard, our guards are still up. How to deal with the psychosis of fear, time and aProfit?

Chat with HealthShots, Dr. Preeti Kochar, a counseling psychologist, tells IWill more. “The growing fear of the new version of Omicron has affected more people on a psychological level. People are just getting started get over it Fatigue due to Covid-19 and this news is likely to cause severe panicg people of all ages. The psychosis of fear is essentially accompanied by anxiety. An individual seems to be associated with a traumatic experience for more than a while. However, it does not last longer than two to three days, “he added.

How does it psychologically affect people?

More often than not, people start they become anxious in such moments. They try to avoid public spaces, which also affects their social life.

“Some individuals face such incidents with minimal disruption to their daily lives, while others experience extreme stress or even painful psychological problems, including anxiety and depression. This condition is coined as “psychosis,” which essentially affects an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. ”Kochar explains.

Paranoia, another name for the psychosis of fear, is experienced with years of feelings and perceptions that they are being persecuted. It is an extreme emotional state combined with insights. This level of fear is characterized by the transformation of an individual’s normal behavior into extreme or maladaptive ways.

“Such events and excessive media coverage of destruction, dead, weeping relatives, etc. they often cause traumatic stress, which further affects those who were not directly involved in the accident. Unfortunately, during the second wave of the pandemic, people faced the loss of family members or relatives of close friends. The accident was too close to home so as not to affect people. This is further complicated by limited movement outside the house, which in other normal traumatic situations allows for distraction and experience-based treatment, ”explains Kochar.

Being locked up in four walls and having only the same family members to echo each other’s fears and thoughts without being able to let go of their fears and frustrations worsen. Sometimes an individual needs more time to get rid of shock and sadness.

How to stay calm during the Covid-19 version of Omicron?

There is no perfect method to deal with the anxiety associated with Omicron virus news, Kochar says. But here are some tips she shared that can help:

1. Focus on the things you can control

One thing is for sure – a lot is beyond our control and that includes new versions of Covid-19. “There’s an idea of ​​how much this pandemic has taken from us, and a really legitimate fear of what else it will take. There are so many things that people are looking forward to and it’s really devastating to think we’re back in an uncontrolled area. ended up together, is the general question everyone is asking? ”says Kochar.

Wear a mask when you are indoors, get vaccinated and plan a recovery if you are eligible. These are things under your control!

2. Be aware of things that can trigger anxiety

Observe your reactions to triggers and make behavioral changes that help you take care of yourself.

“One of the management techniques is to plan time to receive updates on what’s going on with the pandemic. However, the catch is in controlling pandemic updates and not allowing them control you and your mind. Endless reading of “a million news items” can interrupt sleep and cause sleep deprivation, anxiety and depression, and reduce the chances of you doing healthy things that reduce stress and anxiety, ”says Kochar.

3. Therapy can help

Rumination is an endless circle of negative thoughts, a bit like a hamster running on a bicycle. It can contribute to anxiety and depression, but you may not even realize you are doing it. Therefore, therapy is a great option as it can help you break the cycle of recurring negative thoughts.

4. Wrap up

Kochar says strategic disorders such as entry into work, reading, and exercise are beneficial and healthy behaviors in coping when it comes to stopping thinking.

5. Avoid disasters

“Catastrophe is the presentation of the most extreme and worst-case scenario in any situation. A therapist can help you structure your thoughts, face your fears, help you check for reality, instead of letting your thoughts spin down and take you with them, ”explains Kochar.

6. Take support from courage boosters

“We need to look for someone who had the same fears as them and overcame them. Having a mentor who can encourage and support you is invaluable. So you can use each other for support. It’s easier to act confidently if you have a group of fans on your side, “he concludes.