'Think about the best-case scenario': how to manage coronavirus anxiety
Just over a week ago, our world looked very different from how it does today. The shift has been so rapid and frightening, it feels as if the ground beneath us has given way. It is disorienting, as if normal life is just over there, out of reach. I have been through two major bereavements, close together, and this has the same unanchored feeling of grief.
The human brain is not wired to tolerate uncertainty, but it is wired to be alert to any threat. So, if you are feeling pandemic panic, it is only natural. Blame your brain. For most of us, life has never felt more uncertain, and uncertainty is, according to , an even more stressful state to be in than actually knowing something bad will happen. It may explain – if you’re young-ish and otherwise healthy – why you may be almost hoping to contract Covid-19, just to get out of that will I-won’t I? mental tussle. Those of us who are older or more vulnerable don’t have such
