Dealing with Coronavirus Anxiety? Now’s a Good Time to Meditate
As I grapple with my own coronavirus anxiety, I’m leaning on meditation.
It’s all over the news and social media. Events and travel plans are being canceled. Stores are sold out of hand sanitizer, toilet paper and face masks. Employees are working remotely from home, and schools are closed. Phrases like quarantine, self-isolation and social distancing are a part of everyday conversation.
It’s coronavirus. And it’s wreaking havoc all over the world.
The current outbreak of coronavirus, or COVID-19, that originated in Wuhan, China, has quickly spread to other countries, causing a global pandemic. As the number of people testing positive in the U.S. continues to rise, most of us are wondering when it’s going to land in our backyard — if it hasn’t already.
The widespread fear is difficult to ignore, but it’s important to balance our efforts to play our individual parts in containing the spread of coronavirus with our own mental health. As pervasive as the illness is, so is our collective stress. While we’re all well versed by now in the importance of proper and frequent hand washing and avoidance of face touching, it’s not as clear how we’re supposed to temper the heightened anxiety surrounding coronavirus.
As I grapple with my own coronavirus anxiety, I’m leaning on meditation.
What exactly is meditation? Meditation is a technique to train our attention to become more aware. It involves focusing on the breath. It involves acknowledging thoughts and feelings and letting them go. It involves a stillness in the mind and transforming the way we think.
The potential benefits of meditation are well documented, including stress reduction and managing symptoms of medical issues like high blood pressure, chronic pain and sleep problems. And yes, meditation can help lower anxiety.
While some meditators practice to create a sense of calm or concentration, it’s not unusual for practitioners to discover meditation because of physical or mental health issues. Meditation can help military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Meditation can help migraine sufferers. Meditation might even help treat substance abuse.
Like many other regular meditators, I stumbled upon my own passion for the practice because my lack of ability to manage stress was affecting my health, my energy level, my sleep, my family life, everything. As with most new endeavors, I went through a learning curve and was close to giving up many times as my brain tried to convince me I didn’t have the patience to meditate.
But I stuck with it. I read books written by Sharon Salzberg, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and author of multiple books on meditation, who discovered meditation at 18 years old when she was seeking relief from a painful childhood. I carved out a meditation station in my house, where no stress was allowed. I downloaded apps with guided meditations, like Insight Timer, Calm and Headspace, and through trial and error, I learned which ones worked best for me.
Several years later, meditation is still a part of my daily life. Sometimes that means setting an alarm for a typically stressful time in my day to remind myself to pause and take three deep breaths. Sometimes that means listening to a guided meditation to help me fall asleep at night. And sometimes, meditation comes into play during specific anxiety-inducing times like when I fought claustrophobia during multiple brain MRIs or during my painful six week recovery after a hysterectomy.
Now, with coronavirus a constant in the news cycle, I find myself relying more on my meditation practice as my anxiety levels rise. Meditation doesn’t require a formal sitting. You can meditate while sitting or lying down, while walking your dog or standing in line at the grocery store, while listening to music or eating. As the wise Sharon Salzberg writes in her book Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation, “if you can breathe, you can meditate.”
So as we all try to keep our coronavirus anxiety in check, remember the simple yet effective practice of meditation. Press mute on the television, close your eyes and take some mindful breaths. Use the time you’re taking to wash your hands to breathe and let go of negative thoughts. If you’re still going to work, take some time out with co-workers like Oprah does to meditate as a group (while, of course, maintaining that 6 feet of recommended social distancing). If you’re suddenly working remotely, take advantage of your newfound time at home to listen to guided meditations. Meditation doesn’t cost a dime and can be done anytime, anywhere.
Coronavirus isn’t going away anytime soon. While we try to come to terms with how the pandemic is affecting our lives, we must nurture our mental health alongside our physical health. Remember to breathe. And that’s what meditation is all about.
