How to Manage Fear in The Face of Riots and COVID-19

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• How to Manage Fear in The Face of Riots and COVID-19
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

How to Manage Fear in The Face of Riots and COVID-19

Right now, we are facing huge stressors that are largely out of our control. The worldwide pandemic caused by the outbreak of a new coronavirus has led to social isolation and economic upheaval. The tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of police on May 25 sparked ongoing riots throughout the U.S. The dreadful act of racism, violence, destruction, and threats to our health and wellbeing combine to cause extreme stress, anxiety, and fear in many people. If you are facing strong negative emotions and thoughts, rest assured that these are normal in the face of severe stressors.

These tips, adapted from the American Psychological Association, can help you cope with acute stress, traumatic stress, heightened anxiety, and fear.

• Acknowledge your feelings, and allow yourself to experience them. It’s okay to have intense, negative reactions. Accepting the full range of your feelings rather than resisting or denying them allows you to move past them.
• Develop and use healthy coping strategies. Find support (a therapist, a support groups, and friends or loved ones willing to listen are all helpful), follow a regular daily routine and sleep schedule, eat healthy foods, and exercise; these activities support physical and mental health.
• Counter the negative with realistic, positive perspectives. Every day, seek out the good in yourself, others, and the world. Identify things big and small for which you are grateful. Find the people doing good deeds (including simply smiling at others from afar). Remember, too, to minimize your exposure to news and social media.
• Do something active. Action is empowering and helps beat stress, anxiety, and fear. Reach out to a neighbor to see how you can help them during this time, or volunteer with an organization you believe in.

Trauma, stress, anxiety, and fear are real. Use the above strategies to manage what you can control so you can be mentally healthy despite what is out of your control.

Source:
Managing your distress in the aftermath of a shooting. (n.d.). American Psychological Association. Retrieved May 2020 from https://www.apa.org/topics/mass-shooting

Related Articles Dealing with Traumatic Stress, Acute Stress, Anxiety, and Fear

• Traumatic Events and How to Cope
• When Tragedy Strikes: How to Emotionally Handle Disaster
• What To Do When Current Events Cause Anxiety
• Despite Paralyzing Anxiety, There Are Ways To Move
• What is Acute Stress Disorder, Acute Stress Reaction?
• Acute Distress Disorder Symptoms
• Acute Stress Disorder Treatment
• What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
• PTSD Causes: What Causes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
• How to Cope with PTSD-Related Anxiety
• The Meaning of Fear in 3 Acronyms: Anxiety Causes and Solutions

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: With COVID-19 and the killing of George Floyd and the resulting protests, these are very anxiety provoking times. How are they affecting your mental health and what things are you doing to help your mental health during these tumultuous times? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page.

From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• How to Open Up to Loved Ones About Your DID Diagnosis
• How Working From Home Affected My Eating Disorder Recovery
• How a Doctor's Disbelief can Foster Medical Trauma
• Making Sense of "Random" Breakdowns in Recovery
• When Anxiety Affects your Ability to Focus
• 3 Ways to Prevent a Summer Binge Eating Relapse
• Is Emotional Self-Harm a Thing? Signs of Mental Self-Injury
• The Lasting Effects of Mental Health Stigma
• Life as a Transgender Autistic: Passing and Masking
• How to Find Your Inner Power
• Toxic Positivity: When Happiness Is Harmful
• Control Your Anxiety with Math
• My Medication for Schizoaffective Disorder Makes Me Fat
• The Cycle of Self-Harming and Anxiety
• How to Handle Nighttime Anxiety, Worrying at Night
• Is Verbal Abuse Forgivable?
• 3 Creative Ways to Heal from Negative Core Beliefs
• Open Letter to My Eating Disorder Support Network
• Setting Career Goals with Bipolar Disorder
• A Better Way to Help Someone with Anxiety
• 3 Tips to Deal with Quarantine Depression

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Learn How to Manage Your PTSD Triggers
2. How My Mental Health Condition Affects Breakups
3. How to Change Anxiety in Increments to Be Mentally Healthy

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"Trauma creates changes you don't choose. Healing is about creating change that you do choose."

Read more mental health quotes.

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