Dr. Kube: There are ways to manage stress, anxiety from pandemic – The Columbus Dispatch

The Columbus Dispatch

Julie, a pleasant young woman with no medical problems ordaily medications,came to the Emergency Department complaining of insomnia.She looked anxious when I entered the room and was wearing a face mask and latex gloves.

Julie told me that she couldnt sleep and felt miserable from being so tired. She had trouble concentrating while doing her work but would just tossand turn at nights.

More fromDr. Kube: Protect yourself and others, get a flu shot

She said there were times before big tests in high school that she would have trouble falling asleep, but nothing to this extent. Her symptoms had been going on for several months buthad gotten worse the past few weeks to the point that Julie felt like she couldn'ttake it anymore.

As we talked more, Julie saidthat she felt like her life was turned upside down when the COVID-19 pandemic began in the spring. She had been stressed with her finances, work and wasthe fear of becoming sick. She also feltisolated at home and missed seeing her friends and family.

During the early week of the state shutdown, Julie wassent home from her office to work from home. Daily Zoom meetings with her boss and other coworkers had become her daily routine.

It's a story I heardover and over with many patients since the start of the pandemic.

Juliebecame tearful and saidshe was feeling stressed out about everything, which was not typicalfor her. She was initially afraid she would become seriouslyill or even die if she were to get COVID-19, but those thoughts had subsided with time. Much of her sleeping problems were driven by anxiety, she said, and she could not calm herself down enough to rest and sleep.

Stressis your bodys normal response to a threatening situation. It gives you the ability avoid danger or meet a deadline. Anxiety is a reaction to the stress. Anxiety is a normal emotion that can be healthy.However, when a person regularly feels high levels of anxiety or stress it can become harmful to their health. Anxiety becomes a disorder when feelings of anxiety, worry or fear are strong enough to interfere with a persons daily activities.

Juliesaid she had to give up many of the things that gave her life joy because of the limitation imposed by the pandemic. Shedid kickboxingat her gym, but had to stopwhen it closed down for many weeks. She had been cooking for herself and was making healthy food choices but became so stressed about going to the grocery store that she started ordering fast fooddelivered to her home. She had gained a lot of weight and felt terrible about that, she said.

More: The coronavirus created a 'slow-rolling mental health crisis.' Here's what to do about it.

Julie and I talked aboutstrategies to prevent her anxiety from becoming so overwhelming that it interferedwith her life. We discussed the importance of eating healthy, well-balanced meals, avoiding excessive alcohol and drugs, and engaging in regular exercise. Exercise boosts endorphins that improve mood, decreases stress and can distract from the things that are causing worry. Being physically tired can also make it easier to fall asleep.

In addition to physical health, it isimportant to focus on emotional health. It's helpful to remain calm during stressful timesso you can think clearly and make good decisions. It's good to takebreaks from news stories and social media posts about the pandemic and other stressful events.Meditation and relaxation techniques can also behelpful to allow your mind to rest and reset.

More: Experts worry that winter months will be tough for people with mental health issues

Stress and anxiety management is more important now than ever before as wefaceone of the most significant events in our recent history. It is important to still do the things you like to do, even if it requires making modifications such aswearing a mask or practicing social distancing.You can and should connect with others in safe ways.You should talk with people you trust about how you are feeling because they're likely having the same worries and concerns.

With vaccines on the horizon, there's hope that the pandemic will slow down and our lives will eventually return to a more normal state, but this isn't all going away quickly. In addition to doing the thingsneeded to slow down the spread of the virus, we need to focus on our health and well-being. .

Julie was able to go home with a plan to relieve stress, which would improve her anxiety and sleep.She said she would work on her diet, exercise daily and connect with friends and family. She felt relieved to know that she wasnt the only one experiencing significant stress and anxiety during this unprecedented time.

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Dr. Kube: There are ways to manage stress, anxiety from pandemic - The Columbus Dispatch