7 Things to Minimize Corona-Xiety

Life is a continuous struggle along with its uncertainty. This was true even before Coronavirus (Covid 19) outbreak. However, the people all over the globe had have reported the feelings of excessive stress, fear of death and anxiety to their psychologists since February 2020. The Pakistan’s best psychiatrists and psychologists associated with Shifa International Hospital Ltd. have also confirmed to have received similar inquiries.

The Coronavirus (Covid 19) pandemic has undoubtedly severed global economy and caused thousands of deaths world-wide. The projected numbers of those infected are nervously higher. But this too is a fact that higher numbers of Coronavirus (Covid 19) infected population is directly proportional to the poor preventive measures.

Though it is easy to fell to fear of death and receive tremendous stress yet this situation could be utilized to produce self-energy to fight Coronavirus (Covid 19) pandemic on personal levels. Below are the ten things which will equipped to fight Corona-Xiety aka Anxiety Caused due to the fear of getting infected from Coronavirus (Covid 19) during these testing times the world is going through.

Please carefully watch the video as Dr. Abdul Wahab Yusufzai – Consultant Psychiatrist at Shifa International Hospital – answers some vital questions regarding the psycho-social impacts of COVID-19.

1. 1. Separate Lies from Facts
      Only rely on official portals for global and national Corona Statistics. Below are the three best portals of keeping yourself updated regarding latest happenings:
      A- https://www.nih.org.pk/novel-coranavirus-2019-ncov (For Pakistan)
      B- https://covidwatch.pk (For Pakistan)
      C- https://www.who.int (For Global Updates)

1. 1. Avoid Social Media Rumors
      There is a gazillion of unverified messages and unprocessed data making rounds on social media platforms. Simple ignore them all. The best thing to do is to mute the unnecessary groups or individuals. Another effective way to avoid seeing unwanted and unauthentic audio/visual data is to change your social media download settings from auto to manual.

1. 1. Don’t Apply Symptoms to Yourself Every Now and Then
      Though it is important to self-test yourself for Coronavirus (Covid-19) symptoms. Yet it is greatly unnecessary to keep applying the symptoms to yourself and loved ones every hour. Practicing this will only further your anxiety.

1. 1. Stop Shaming Others
      There is a large population globally and nationally which cannot afford to even buy a face mask. The daily wagers and commuters to essential services cannot just stay at home. Try not to blame these classes for becoming the reason to spread Coronavirus (Covid 19). That is just not fair. If come across any such individual then instead of shaming and blaming try advising.

1. 1. Avoid Panic Buying
      Amid universal lockdowns panic buying surges to heights. However, buying bulk of food enough for months would only increase the fear in your conscious.

1. 1. Go Out in Sun
      At least spend half an hour on your roof or in garden or at any serene place, with all precautions of course. Feel the sunshine while reading your favorite book or listening to the delightful music. It will fill you with positive energy.

1. 1. Listen to the Authorities
      Keeping all political differences aside now is the time to not only rely but also to acknowledge the orders disperse from relevant authorities.

Let’s not make the Corona-xiety become the new pandemic. Let’s come out from these testing times with our head high. God bless you all.

Hissan Gul is working as the Assistant Manager Digital Media and Communications at Shifa Foundation. He has a a decade long experience in producing textual and video content. He aspires to work for Communication for Development (C4D) and Information Education and Communication (IEC).