Managing fear and the Coronavirus
I don’t think anyone around the globe is not acutely aware of the obvious: Covid-19, (aka Coronavirus) is scary and it’s spreading fast. There is currently no vaccine or any preventive treatment for it and we don’t know how deadly it will actually be. As such, it is completely understandable that so many people are frightened and that we’re seeing a surge in public anxiety.
To try to counter this worry and fear you are suffering, my first suggestion is that you seek reputable sources for your information, such as The Center for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. Rumours, misinformation and fake news will only increase anxiety, so it is best to stick with reliable facts and science.
Here are some other ways that I can help you to manage any fear that is mounting around this pandemic.
Why are we so afraid?
Psychologist David DeSteno explained to the New York Times that news about the virus’s death toll around the globe aids our fears, “it makes us not only more worried than we need be about contracting it, but also more susceptible to embracing fake claims and potentially problematic, hostile or fearful attitudes towards those around us - claims and attitudes that in turn reinforce our fear and amp up the cycle”.
More than this, the constant media about the spread of Coronavirus leans into the ‘availability bias’. This is where we are more likely to give weight to events that we can immediately recall. It puts individuals in a hyper-vigilant state, whereby any information that they absorb around this becomes self-perpetuating. Essentially the more we hear, the more we read, the more we are likely to interpret this information in a threatening way.
There is an additional layer to this - emotion impairs our perception of risk! Think about it, we instinctively fear unlikely, catastrophic events like terrorist attacks or plane crashes, than more common and deadly events, like road traffic accidents or the common flu. So in regards to the Covid-19, our ability to objectively assess the risk is challenging because it is a charged topic that we know very little about. As humans, we tend to react pretty poorly to that level of uncertainty and unpredictability.
As Dorothy Frizelle, a consultant Clinical Health Psychologist explains, these events “make us feel a perceived lack of control. We’re human beings, so we’re hard-wired to respond to threats, to protect ourselves. But it’s really difficult to do when the threat is so uncertain and potentially far-reaching. That’s when you start to see people take on more unusual behaviours”.
Just think of the panic-buying of toilet paper that we’ve seen throughout Australia! It has even seen people stealing toilet paper from public loos, despite the knowledge that toilet paper is predominantly made locally in Australia. But Australia isn’t alone here. Last month, according to the BBC, armed robbers stole pallets of toilet paper in Hong Kong following panic-induced shortages in the country.
Moreover, uncertainty creates room for false claims, which, in the middle of a pandemic, can amplify disease transmission, according to Epidemiologist, Adam Kucharski. So, why does this happen? Well if you add together our brains hyper-vigilance, emotional fog and poor reactivity we become poor at spotting misinformation, particularly online because our memory plays tricks on us. It misleads us to look at information through a clouded lens. It can lead us to believe information that we absorb repetitively and more than that, information that confirms our already existing beliefs. With this information bias, we will naturally only pay attention to information that confirms these pre-existing beliefs and ignore anything that challenges it. To add in another loaded gun, when the information is emotionally charged, we are primed to hold it close.
So, what can we do about it?
Well, in essence, it comes down to feeling that you can assert a sense of control over your fears, without overreacting and contributing to public panic. So, these are my top tips:
You can do important, basic things, to take the power back here - regular and thorough hand washing with soap and water, stay away from large gatherings or sick individuals, monitor your temperature (if you get sick), avoid touching your face whenever possible, avoid all non-essential travel, and self-isolate yourself as much as possible.
Connect in a safe way with people in your life that you trust, who can help you to calm down and who can support you through this uncertain time.
Limit your exposure to the media + only engage with reputable sources; I would encourage a maximum of 30 minutes per day. Arm yourself with the facts and try to keep those facts in perspective.
Try and stick to a normal routine (as much as possible) and engage with healthy habits (regular exercise, a good sleep routine, eat nutritious foods etc.).
Set aside worry time (see our blog on worry) and allow yourself the space to work through your worries around Covid-19.
Practice Mindfulness + grounding techniques to keep you in the present (see our Instagram profile to take you through these exercises on IGTV) and build up your mental health toolkit.
Seek professional help if you feel your fear and anxiety is starting to override everything else (telehealth appointments are now universal for all Australians if you have a Mental Health Care Plan),
I truly hope you all stay healthy + happy during this uncertain time.
