7 Reasons Why It’s Hard To Control Your COVID Anxiety

The novel coronavirus has a long list of terrifying effects that can lead to stress and anxiety. Though the coronavirus is a physical disease, it has quite a detrimental impact on our mental health as well, and unfortunately, not many people are talking about this. COVID anxiety is becoming a real and dangerous problem.

However, if we are going to take care of our mental health, we need to know why it is difficult to control our anxiety and stress during the pandemic, and I hope reading the rest of this post helps you out.

7 Reasons Why It's Hard to Control Your COVID Anxiety — *This is a guest post and all opinions are those of the author. This post may also contain affiliate and/or paid links. Rest assured that I only work with companies and individuals that I trust. While some of those companies and individuals may work in the medical field, this post is not intended to be a substitution for medical advice. Always speak to your doctor if you have concerns about your mental or physical health.

Medical Uncertainty

COVID-19 is a new virus that we haven’t seen before, and that means that there are many uncertainties surrounding it. The virus is behaving quite weirdly, and it is difficult to understand who is safe.

For instance, experts believe that older people are more at risk from the virus, but there are several cases where young people have succumbed to it. In contrast, people in their nineties with underlying conditions have survived.

Similarly, experts say that if you recover from the virus, your body develops immunity against it, but several people have contracted the virus more than once.

Therefore, this medical uncertainty is one of the major reasons it can be difficult to manage COVID anxiety.

Financial Uncertainty

The coronavirus has caused a lot of financial problems as well. People are losing their jobs, and companies are going bankrupt, and this has created a very financially stressful situation.

People who can’t work because of the pandemic are uncertain when the lockdown is going to end, and they will be able to resume their work. People working online don’t know if they will have a job next month, and people who own businesses are uncertain whether their business will survive.

This financial uncertainty is another reason for lingering COVID anxiety.

Job Alternatives to Make a Career Switch and Get Hired in 2020 — .

Frightening Headlines

In normal situations, watching the news and staying updated is a good habit. However, during this pandemic, looking at the ever-worsening statistics does nothing but increase your stress.

Therefore, you shouldn’t keep up with how many cases are reported every day and how many people are dying. You should do your part to stop the spread of the virus, and after that, there isn’t much that you can do, so what’s the point of worrying yourself about the virus.

Unfamiliarity

Humans are generally afraid of change, and saying that the coronavirus has changed the way we live is an understatement. From distance learning to online jobs and the continuously changing safety guidelines, things are changing too fast because of the pandemic, and it is making it difficult for us to deal with stress and anxiety.

An effective way to deal with stress and anxiety is vaping. You should check out High Voltage Extracts refill cartridges to counter stress and feel less anxious.

Create a Powerful Morning Routine to Lower Anxiety — .

Lack of Structure

Ever since the pandemic started, our lives have been lacking some much-needed structure. We don’t have a schedule or routines, and this has a very negative impact on our mental health. Without a healthy routine, dealing with anxiety also becomes very challenging.

Therefore, even though you don’t have to go to work, you should create a healthy routine for yourself and follow it. This can help ease symptoms of COVID anxiety.

A Lack of Leadership

In a situation, like we are in now, the general public looks towards its elected officials and medical experts for guidance and leadership. However, with the nature of the virus, even our leaders are unable to provide us with steady support.

Medical experts are learning about the virus, and their statements are continuously changing. This lack of leadership from the people we look towards is another reason why dealing with COVID anxiety is so difficult.

Inability to Seek Support

Since we have to stay in our homes, for the most part, seeing support for anxiety and other mental issues has become quite difficult. People can’t go to support groups, getting therapist appointments is difficult, and above that, we can’t even hang out with our friends without risking getting infected.

Therefore, it is very challenging to deal with COVID anxiety, as there is a lack of emotional support. You should try to build a better bond with your family members and talk to them for emotional support.

2020 has been a very challenging year, and as it reaches its end, we are starting to see some slivers of hope. Though the pandemic isn’t over for now, and it will affect next year as well, knowing that we have battled through a year of it makes us more confident that we can handle it a little longer until the vaccine starts to be used. Just keep your anxiety in check by following the tips mentioned in this post, and hopefully, this pandemic will be over soon.

Author Bio

Josh Lees is a final year psychology student. He is a passionate writer and loves to research about mental and physical health. He has published many articles regarding different mental conditions. To find out more about his journey head over to https://kootenaybotanicals.com/.

How to Deal with Hair Loss Caused by Excessive Stress

High-level stress can cause hair loss and for some people, the effects of stress on hair health are more serious than you think.

Clinically known as alopecia, hair loss is common for both men and women. But some factors can intensify shedding and disrupt hair growth, including stress. To make things worse, seeing fistfuls of hair caught in between your fingers while in the shower can be an emotionally taxing experience. While hair loss can be a common occurrence throughout life, especially for women with long hair, large amounts of hair loss can be a sign of excessive stress.

Here are several ways to help you fight massive hair loss triggered by stress so you can protect your “crowning glory.”

How to Deal with Hair Loss Caused by Excessive Stress — *This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate and/or paid links which means that if you click on one of these links and buy a product, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Rest assured that I only recommend products that I love from companies that I trust.

Manage stress

The first thing that you need to do is to arrest the major cause of hair fall and, in this case, it’s stress. While you can’t completely avoid stress, you can minimize its effects on your body by managing it. It sounds easy but figuring out the right stress-management technique can be difficult for some people.

Exercise is one popular way to combat stress. When you exercise, your body releases “happy” hormones called endorphins, which reduces your perception of pain. Enrolling in yoga or tai-chi classes can combat stress as these will teach you some meditation and breathing exercises to help you find your zen.

Another way to manage stress is by pursuing your hobbies as it can keep your mind away from stressful thoughts. Artistic activities like painting or crafting, outdoor activities like gardening or sports, or joining a class or group can all help to reduce daily stress.

Meditation Tips for People Who Hate to Meditate — .

Eat a balanced diet

A balanced diet is crucial if you want to fight stress-induced hair loss as it will give your body all the nutrients it needs to encourage hair growth. While supplements can give you some of the essential nutrients, getting enough of them in your diet is still the best route for you.

Make sure you eat foods rich in vitamin C to promote the production of collagen, which your body needs to build hair proteins. Beans and nuts are packed with vitamin B that is vital for hair growth while vitamin E can nourish your scalp. Also, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

7 Vitamins and Minerals All Women Need To Be Healthy — .

Get enough rest

Getting enough sleep after a tiring day is one of the best ways to fight stress and, in turn, avoid receding hairline and bald spots. Resting means you are allowing your body to recover from stress, helping promote the cycle of hair growth.

You may find that you experience more hair loss due to sleep deprivation. Many mothers in the postpartum period experience hair loss due to hormonal changes, but sleep deprivation can also play a role in this. Whether your lack of sleep is due to a new baby or postpartum anxiety, there are several things you can do to ensure you are getting enough rest.

Invest in treatments

If hair loss due to stress becomes noticeable, then it is time for you to consult a dermatologist, who may prescribe you with topical treatments that can stimulate hair growth.

One of the popular products used to treat hair loss is topical minoxidil, which you can apply to your scalp as directed by your doctor. Topical corticosteroids are also your hair’s best friend at times like this. Some also use products with malunggay for hair regrowth because this plant has vitamins and essential fatty acids that your hair needs.

If stress triggered your massive hair loss, avoiding stressful situations as much as you can is what you need to do. Keep in mind that stress is not the only culprit when it comes to hair loss, so if you’ve made some changes to your lifestyle and still don’t see improvements, consult a doctor to find out the root cause and best course of treatment for you.

How to Cope With Parental Burnout: 5 Practical Ways to Recharge

Parenting is a beautiful journey that we can pretty much compare to a roller coaster ride – filled with ups and downs that does not seem to end. Unfortunately, there are times when parents can feel excessively tired, cranky, unproductive, useless, and not enough. Have you felt the same way too? Then this means that you are suffering from parental burnout.

What is Parental Burnout?

Parental burnout exists and is becoming more prevalent lately. It is a term that describes resentment, physical and emotional fatigue, de-motivation, and even depression in some parents who are overly stressed with parenting and a pile of other obligations.

According to studies and research, the changes in our society and culture are huge contributing factors that brought about the rise of this syndrome. So how do you know if you have parental burnout? These are the signs that you need to watch out for:

- Emotionally distancing from child
- Lack of motivation to go on
- Feeling useless as a parent
- Easily angered by the child even for simplest and smallest reasons

The bad thing is that not only parents are affected by parental burnout. This can take a toll on your child, too and the effects can last for a long time. For this reason, moms and dads should partake in activities that allow them to “recharge” and prevent fatigue.

Having said that, I decided to ask other parents for practical solutions on how to cope with parental burnout.

How to Cope

If you feel like you can no longer take it all, here are some of the many suggestions from parents like you and I to avoid falling prey to parental burnout:

Shop

I shop for my son to de-stress. I usually do this with a mom friend so I have a chance to talk to another adult (and keep my sanity lol). This technique is like hitting two birds with one stone – shopping for things that my kid needs while socializing with other moms without feeling guilty of leaving my husband and kid behind. I feel invigorated after doing this kind of errand. You should try it, too.

Have a Vent Buddy

It is really frustrating for me every time my 3-year old son and I argue. I always remind myself that I need to understand his context because he does not always get my point of view… and shouting at him does not help at all.

Whenever I feel like I am about to explode, I take a break from arguing with my son and call or text a friend. I whine, and nag, and even swear if need be just to let everything out of my system. After this, I feel a bit better and all my anger has simmered. By the time I go back to my son, my head is already clear and I can better “hear” what he is saying. This way, we can better communicate with each other.

If I can’t reach anyone, I simply send an email to myself – the same thing I want to tell my vent buddy during a phone call or text message.

11 Things Moms Do That Can Harm Their Mental Health — .

Relax and Watch a Movie

I feel overwhelmed with all the responsibilities – imagine another human being is fully dependent on me for everything. As a result, I worry almost every time even when I am near my kiddo. This is where parental burnout comes creeping in.

When this happens, I watch a movie – more than once a month. I choose movies that do not last for more than two hours. As I am engrossed with the characters in the movie, I temporarily forget about my woes and worries. This, honestly, feels like a mini-vacation for me. As soon as I go out, I feel like a different person.

Go for a Run

This is the same thing as having a vent buddy as this helps keep my head clear. Before I go to work, I run for 15 minutes to decompress and work on things that are stressing me out.

This 15-minute run might not be much but it helps me work something out on my head while keeping my body healthy and active. By the time I get home, I feel happier and, surprisingly, more patient.

Let Your Partner Take Over

Parenting on your own is hard. Plus, it makes you crazy as you incessantly want to control everything. Sometimes, I decide to take a step back. I tell myself to bail on some activities and let my husband handle it.

For instance, I let my husband take my son to the park so I can stay at home. I can clean, read a book, catch on my favorite series, or just sit down and relax. This rewards us both – my husband gets to bond with my son and I get some time to reboot.

Remember that parenting is not like a job wherein you can just resign anytime you want. You cannot give up or quit on your kids. But if you take note of the practical tips in this post that are proven effective by other parents, I am sure that you will feel happy. You will never fall prey to parental burnout ever again.

Author Bio: Elkyra Park is a first-time mom who can no longer count how many baby products she has reviewed for her sanity and her son’s sake. She discusses about the realities of parenthood and how to gracefully cope with the struggles over at www.easyparentinghacks.com

What to Do When Your Finances Are Stressing You Out

Financial stress is a common burden for many young families.

Growing a family is no small feat and finances have a lot to do with it. Children come with their own unique set of needs and financial obligations and the more children you have, the more of a financial burden it can be.

Choosing one parent to stay at home with the kids can also create a stressful scenario as the family moves down to one income. All of this added stress caused by finances can have a big impact on a person’s physical and mental health.

So what do you do when your finances are stressing you out?

When Your Finances Stress You Out — *This is a sponsored post for which I received compensation. As always, the opinions in this post are my own.

Budget

Obviously, the first step is to figure out what your financial situation is. If you want to reduce the amount of stress you’re under, you need to make sure that you’re living within your means. This normally requires making a list of all of your income sources and then another list of your mandatory payments and purchases and figuring out what’s left over.

You should review your budget at least every few months, and definitely when there is any kind of big change. A new baby, moving, purchasing a mini van or even a family vacation can all have an impact on the budget.

Knowing exactly how much you have to spend each month can give you a sense of control and direction, which will help to reduce stress.

Prioritize

Family priorities are different from those of a young bachelor or single woman. If you haven’t already discussed and ranked your family’s priorities, then now is the time to do that. Spend your money on the things that are most important first, and leave the things you could do without until last, and only if there is anything left over afterwards.

This can be a tough decision but it all comes down to what is most important to your family. Life insurance, for example, can be a huge priority for some, and not nearly nearly as important to others. If this is the case for you, then you could consider selling your life insurance policy for cash.

While it may be hard to decide, knowing that every cent is going towards something important can make you feel confident in your financial situation.

Balance

Finding balance can be like searching for the Holy Grail for many young families. Balancing a budget is just as hard as trying to balance time between work and family. But when things are out of balance, it can leave us feeling frazzled, lost and stressed out.

In order to achieve the right balance, you may have to cut some things out of your life, like subscriptions, memberships or dining out. Or look into options for earning more money, such as babysitting, selling something you own or starting a blog.

If the budget doesn’t balance, then it can cause a great deal of debt. And the only way to truly reduce the amount of stress caused by your finances, is to make sure that you are only spending what you have.

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