In early 2020, as the novel coronavirus spread around the world, businesses closed, borders tightened, many people began panic buying, and most of us were asked to self-isolate. Fear seemed to travel faster than the virus itself. This guide was written then, and its practices still fit any time a crisis or an uncertain stretch stirs up anxiety, insecurity, and fear. If you’re feeling that now, it’s entirely understandable.
Alongside the very real dangers, the fear we feel in mind and body can take its own toll on our well-being. The fear response is useful when we’re up against imminent danger, but for many it can run in overdrive, and with a flood of worrisome information and opinions in the news and on social media, it is hard to find the peace and ease we deeply yearn for.
In an interview with Mindful, this is described as “social contagion” – the spread of emotion from one person to another. Understanding this emotional transmission may help us take calmer steps that nourish ourselves and the people around us.
Let’s take a closer look at the stress response and why it may not support our sense of peace and wellness when it stays switched on:
- When the mind perceives a threat, the stress response kicks in. Heart rate speeds up, the breath becomes shallower, and stress hormones are released to help us manage the danger.
- In times of imminent danger, this helps us to fight or flee where appropriate. However, when this response stays switched on because of news, social media, or a racing mind, chronic stress has been linked to:
- a higher risk of hypertension, heart attack, or stroke (according to the American Psychological Association’s overview of stress and the body),
- changes in how the HPA axis (which manages the stress response) communicates with the immune system,
- digestive issues, such as problems with nutrient absorption, pain, and bloating, and
- a shift in decision-making from goal-directed action to habit action (a 2013 review by Hideki Ohira, based largely on animal studies).
None of this needs to be cause for alarm. We can use it as a reason to become more aware of our thoughts, concerns, emotions, and the world around us. If stress or anxiety is affecting your health or daily life, these practices can complement, not replace, care from a doctor or mental health professional.
Mindfulness Tips for Dealing with COVID-19 and Managing Coronavirus-Related Stress
1. Be mindful of time spent reading news and scanning social media.
This is a challenging one for many, especially when we are isolated at home and unsure what to do with our time. See if you can bring more awareness to your time spent online. Take mini pauses to inquire: Is what I am engaging with fueling fear or peace?
2. Consider ways of supporting your community connection.
One thing to be thankful for in difficult times is the variety of ways we can connect with others (yes, the internet and associated technologies are a double-edged sword). Check in with your friends and family members via phone or video calls. Have virtual dinner dates with those you care about. In addition, you can look for an online community that supports your sense of connection and togetherness.
3. Self-inquire: What opportunities might this time be presenting?
If you have extra quiet time at home, consider what buried passions or curiosities might want to be explored. It can be a good time for at-home learning, creative expression, and mindful contemplation, and online courses, books, or other resources can support you.
8 Mindfulness Exercises for a Healthy Coronavirus Mindset
There are plenty of free mindfulness exercises to be explored online. The ones selected here are just a few of the many that may help ease stress and anxiety and bring a sense of calm.
1. Belly Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing (or belly breathing) is often used to help evoke the body’s relaxation response. This worksheet guides us through a simple belly breathing practice that we can use at any point when stress or anxiety begins to rise.
2. Body Scan Meditation
When most of us are caught up in the movements of the mind, coming back to the body can help us feel more settled and present. Sean Fargo leads this eight-minute meditation.
3. Gladdening the Mind
In challenging and uncertain times, softly imagining an inner smile spreading through the entire body can help us rest and reset. This gentle meditation is guided by Tara Brach.
4. Relaxing Sleep Music
Many people find that music helps them feel calm. This track is one of many that may help ease stress we might be carrying, whether before bed, during meditation, or at any other time.
5. Equanimity: Finding Balance in Difficult Times
This talk by James Baraz addresses the fear and insecurity we can experience in challenging times. Towards the end of the recording, he offers a heartfelt meditation to help us explore the topic on a visceral level.
6. How to Feel Balanced
In another talk on noticing what’s happening in mind, body, and the world, Sharon Salzberg explores the notion of balance. It encourages a compassionate and curious self-inquiry into how we might gently find more balance and peace of mind.
7. Mindfulness of Emotions
Becoming more curious about our emotions can deepen our awareness and loosen our attachment to whatever moves within. This resource looks at a range of universal emotions and offers steps for mindfully meeting whatever is present.
8. Loving Kindness Meditation
Loving-kindness practice offers a way to extend warmth to ourselves and to everyone who shares this earth. Sean Fargo leads this fifteen-minute meditation on compassion, kindness, and interconnectedness.
If you’d like to take your learning a step further, you might consider the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification, which includes weekly live Q&A calls with Sean Fargo and the senior teaching team.
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