Our stress and anxiety generally cause us to focus on negatives and trigger “what if” questions, such as “How will I cope if I get sick?” or ” How will I manage if I have to self-isolate?” They can also drive us to think worst case scenarios.
In stressful situations, people often overestimate how bad the situation can get, but underestimate how well they will be able to cope. People are resilient and have coping skills they use everyday.
- Think of difficult or challenging situations you have an encountered that you were able to manage. Even if things weren’t perfect, what did you do to cope with the situation?
- Remind yourself that you can handle stress and that if you feel you need support, you can reach out to family, friends, colleagues or professionals.
- Remember our collective resources
- Try to replace catastrophic thoughts with something like, ” This is definitely a difficult time, but we will get through it together.”
- Don’t underestimate what you are able to do when faced with challenges.