The Novel Coronavirus (COVID 19) is gradually becoming a part of our daily reality. In addition to its effect on our external circumstances, it is also affecting our internal one by inviting additional stress and anxiety into our personal space.

Today I am suggesting 3 practices to help you manage your stress and anxiety in times of crises: recognizing, accepting and letting go. Let me briefly explain what I mean.

Recognizing is about noticing – without judgement- the thoughts and emotions associated with the stress. Find a quiet place to tune in to your breathing. What feeling rises when you slow down your mind? Naming your thoughts and emotions helps you to resize them into manageable chunks and separate them from other thoughts and feelings.

Accepting your present reality allows you to open a space for self-compassion and self-kindness, realizing your feelings are part of being a human being and that you’re not alone on this. Accepting what it is, doesn’t mean that you are passive or indifferent; it merely means that you are embracing your humanity and how you are at this specific moment.  

Lastly, letting go is about detaching from specific expectations about how you should be feeling. By releasing your attachment to the content and nature of your thoughts and emotions, you stop containing them and you let them go.

Recognizing your feelings and emotions, accepting them and letting go, are 3 ways to reduce your anxiety and stress.

Crises bring abrupt change. Some positive, some not so much. This crisis will end at some point and you want to see yourself as more resilient and wiser. Keep the end in mind and in the meantime, use these 3 tools to help you manage your feelings.