6 ways to ease anxiety around Omicron wave
As Omicron has been detected in all of Thailand’s provinces, people across the country are concerned about how the new COVID-19 variant could affect their lives. Just as we were starting to get used to the “new normal”, Omicron and its rising case count have brought back feelings of panic and anxiety. What’s more, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated – adding to the growing fear over Omicron. In this Pacific Prime Thailand article, we look at six ways to ease anxiety around the Omicron wave.
Tips to calm anxiety surrounding the Omicron variant
Medical experts may offer reassuring words, but that doesn’t mean Omicron isn’t a concern. We know what it’s like to watch COVID-19 cases rise and have no control, causing us to feel anxious and afraid. The good news is that this is not our first time around. We know that we can make it through tough times and there are ways to relieve anxiety that can help.
1. Break the cycle with relaxation techniques
Wondering if your fight-or-flight system is working in overdrive? Tune into your body and notice how it feels. Do you have knots in your stomach or a headache that doesn’t respond to your typical solutions? If you’re witnessing any physical signs of anxiety, quickly implementing relaxation techniques can be instrumental.
Meditation, deep breathing exercises, visualization, and progressive muscle relaxation are some of the most popular relaxation techniques that you can try from the comfort of your own home.
2. Be compassionate towards yourself
Some people think that they should avoid any feelings of anxiety, to begin with. This can cause what is known as “toxic positivity”, or responding to negative emotions with false positivity instead of empathy. However, faking positivity to avoid or suppress anxiety not only doesn’t work but can even make things worse down the line.
Rather than putting yourself down for feeling anxious, stressed out, or scared, try being compassionate towards yourself instead. Picture how you’d talk to someone you love who is going through the same thing, and then talk to yourself that way. You may find it helpful to put one hand on your heart and another on your stomach or to write a loving letter to yourself that you can read whenever you need some reassurance.
3. Watch out for things that can trigger anxiety
You might have noticed that scrolling social media or news feeds for hours on end leaves you feeling anxious. Oftentimes, all that time spent mindlessly scrolling and absorbing content can have you feeling worse than when you started. Research shows that regularly checking news during the pandemic is a harmful habit – with 2.5 or more hours a day of media usage linked to significant anxiety.
But reducing time on social media isn’t always easy. A good place to start is to track the amount of time you spend on various apps/sites. Most devices make it possible to check screen time and to set limits as well. If time limits don’t work for you, it may be helpful to remove certain apps from your device and only access them using a browser.
Other behaviors that do more harm than good for your anxiety include heavy drinking, procrastinating, and excessively seeking reassurance, as well as not getting enough exercise or sleep.
4. Do your best to avoid catastrophic thinking
While it can be easy to let catastrophic thinking get the best of you, it’s crucial to put things into perspective. If you allow your mind to go down the rabbit hole of potential outcomes, you’ll be left thinking about the worst possible outcomes – and that doesn’t do anyone any good. You can counter this tendency by thinking of the optimal outcomes, along with scenarios that are most likely to play out, and strategizing how you’d prepare for those.
It also helps to think about how your current concerns might seem down the line, whether that’s a week or a year from now. You might be losing sleep over something that will never even happen. Grounding techniques can be used to quiet your mind and return to the present moment.
5. Form healthy habits
As previously mentioned, reducing media exposure can help with anxiety. But what you do with your newly found free time is just as important. There’s no better time to create healthy habits than now. If you find yourself wondering how to stop worrying about health, the best way is to take matters into your own hands.
If you don’t exercise regularly, come up with a workout plan or sign up for a class (of which there are now many virtual options). Do you dream of eating healthy but always order junk food? Start to learn about nutrition and incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Are you used to staying up late and waking up groggy? Create a sleep schedule and stick to it.
There are many healthy habits that you can incorporate into your daily life to make it better and reduce your anxiety. Just pick one area to start and see where it leads you.
6. Focus on what you can control
If there’s one question on everyone’s mind these days, it’s when will the COVID-19 pandemic end? When it comes to the pandemic and new COVID-19 variants like Omicron, there’s so much that is out of our control. We spend time focusing on the ways the pandemic has affected our lives and are worried about what else will be taken away from us.
Just when we thought that things were getting better, Omicron has us second-guessing the things we were looking forward to and wondering what the future holds. The reality is that we do not know how things will play out, but things like wearing a mask, getting vaccinated, and prioritizing our health are things that we can control and are where our focus should lie.
Prioritize your health with Pacific Prime Thailand
Along with the tips above, another solution for those wondering how to ease anxiety is to secure health insurance in Thailand. A comprehensive health insurance plan gives you peace of mind that comes from knowing your medical needs can be met at any time. With over two decades of industry experience, Pacific Prime Thailand has the knowledge and expertise to help you find the best plan for your needs and budget.
Whether you’re looking for expat health insurance in Thailand, family health insurance in Thailand, or any other type of insurance in Thailand or globally, Pacific Prime is here to help. Contact us for impartial advice and a free quote today!
Jantra curates and reports on the results of Pacific Prime’s monthly newsletters, as well as manages Pacific Prime’s Deputy Global CEO’s LinkedIn posts. Complemented by her background in business writing, Jantra’s passion for health, insurance, and employee benefits helps her create engaging content - no matter how complex the subject is.
Growing up as a third-culture kid has given her a multicultural perspective that helps her relate to expats and their families while 8 years of working remotely have given her unique insight into hybrid work arrangements and enthusiasm for employee benefits.
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