COVID-19: Coping with Stress
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on everyone's lives. Many are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as social distancing, are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but they can make you feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety. Learning to cope with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care about, and those around you become more resilient.
Stress can cause the following:
- Feelings of fear, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration
- Changes in appetite, energy, desires, and interests
- Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping or nightmares
- Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes
- Worsening of chronic health problems
- Worsening of mental health conditions
- Increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and/or other substances
It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are ways that you can help yourself, others, and your community manage stress.
Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress
- Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media. It's good to be informed, but hearing about the pandemic constantly can be upsetting. Consider limiting news to just a couple times a day and disconnecting from phone, TV, and computer screens for a while.
- Take care of your body:
- Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.
- Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
- Exercise regularly.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Avoid excessive alcohol, tobacco, and substance use.
- Continue with routine preventive measures (such as vaccinations, cancer screenings, etc.) as recommended by your health care provider.
- Get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine when available.
- Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
- Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
- Connect with your community- or faith-based organizations. While social distancing measures are in place, try connecting online, through social media, or by phone or mail.
Helping Others Cope
Taking care of yourself can better equip you to take care of others. During times of social distancing, it is especially important to stay connected with your friends and family. Helping others cope with stress through phone calls or video chats can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely or isolated.
Mental Health and Crisis
- If you are struggling to cope, there are many ways to get help. Call your health care provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.
- During times of extreme stress, people may have thoughts of suicide. Suicide is preventable, and help is available (see further crisis resources below).
- Free and confidential crisis resources can also help you or a loved one connect with a skilled, trained counselor in your area (services are often available by phone or video chat). If you need to find treatment or mental health providers, reach out to your employee support program or insurance provider.
If you are in crisis, get immediate help:
- Call 911.
- Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255) for English, or 888-628-9454 for Spanish, or use the Lifeline Crisis Chat: Link opens in a new windowhttps://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached by calling 800-799-7233 (TTY 800-787-3224), texting LOVEIS to 22522, or visiting Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.thehotline.org.
- The National Child Abuse Hotline is available by phone at 800-4AChild (800-422-4453), text at 800-422-4453, or online at Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.childhelp.org/hotline.
- Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline by 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673) or online chat: Link opens in a new windowhttps://hotline.rainn.org/online.
- The Veteran's Crisis Line is available by calling 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255), texting 8388255, or Crisis Chat: Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/chat.
Further Resources
- Check your feelings at How Right Now: Link opens in a new windowhttps://howrightnow.org.
- The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has compiled a list of COVID-19 behavioral health resources here: Link opens in a new windowhttps://asprtracie.hhs.gov/technical-resources/115/covid-19-behavioral-health-resources/99.
- For people at higher risk for serious illness, Ariadne Labs has put together the "Serious Illness Care Program COVID-19 Response Toolkit": Link opens in a new windowhttps://covid19.ariadnelabs.org/serious-illness-care-program-covid-19-response-toolkit.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases (DVD). (Updated 2021, January 22). Coping with stress. Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov