I’m having a lot of stress or anxiety because of COVID-19. What can I do?
It’s common to feel stressed or anxious during this time. It may be especially hard for people who already manage feelings of anxiety or emotional distress. For example, for those of us with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), public health recommendations about contamination and hand washing may make it more difficult to manage our symptoms.
Recognizing how you’re feeling can help you care for yourself, manage your stress and cope with difficult situations. Even when you don’t have full control of a situation, there are things you can do.
Below we describe how to stay informed, take action, maintain healthy social connections and find resources for support.
Manage how you consume information
Equip yourself with information from credible, reputable sources such as the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Be selective about how you consume news. It’s generally a good idea to stay engaged and informed. Having some limits on your news consumption can help:
- Watching or listening to the same news constantly can increase stress. Reading can be an easier medium to control how much and what kind of information you’re absorbing.
- Set limits on when and for how long you consume news and information, including through social media. It may help you to choose a couple of 15-minute blocks each day when you will check news/social media and limit your news consumption to that time.
- False information spreads very easily on social media and can have serious consequences for individual and public health. Always verify sources and make sure they are reputable, especially before sharing anything.
Follow healthy daily routines as much as possible
Your daily habits and routines can help you feel more in control of your own well-being.
Even simple actions can make a difference:
- Make your bed
- Get dressed
- Connect with loved ones
- Move your body
- Make time for breaks
- If possible, take regular short breaks during work or between shifts. During these breaks, go outside and engage in physical activity if you can.
- Practice good hygiene, especially by cleaning your hands
- Prioritize sleep. Here are some recommendations for getting good sleep [En Español]
- Getting enough regular sleep is critical for your immune system
- Eat nutritious food as much as possible, especially fruits and vegetables
Take care of yourself through exercise and movement
If you’re staying home, you may be less physically active than usual. It’s important to keep movement as part of your daily life, whether it’s exercise or light movement like stretching and making sure you’re not sitting down too long.
Exercise is a great way to care for your body. It is a powerful way to improve both your physical and mental health. Research suggests that when we exercise, our brain releases chemicals that help us better manage stress and anxiety.
Find out more about the link between exercise and mental health:
There are many different ways to exercise. Many of them are free, don’t require any equipment and can be done at home. Most people can find an exercise routine that fits their needs and abilities. If you don’t typically exercise or have health concerns, you may want to talk with your primary care provider before starting a new activity.
Some ideas of how to move more:
- Do yoga
- Do cardiovascular exercise
- Research suggests this helps with anxiety and sleep. If you have concerns about balance or joint health, ask your provider about low-impact cardio you can do at home.
- Search for free exercise videos on the web (yoga, dance exercises, Pilates, cardio, HIIT, etc.)
Practice relaxing in the present moment
Mindfulness is a way of practicing awareness that can reduce your stress. It involves focusing your attention on the present moment and accepting it without judgment. It may also help people manage some mental health symptoms.
Many medical organizations support mindfulness as a research-based way to lower your stress and boost your physical and emotional health:
There are lots of online resources about mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises and more. Some organizations, including yoga studios, offer free classes online as well. Grounding exercises can help you notice the sights, sounds, smells and sensations around you rather than being absorbed in your thoughts.
- There are many types of meditation, but in general, they involve finding a quiet, comfortable place where you can observe your thoughts and focus on your breath. Meditation can help you feel calmer and more relaxed.
- According to the National Institutes of Health, “some research suggests that practicing meditation may reduce blood pressure, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, and insomnia.”
- Breathing exercises can help calm your body and your mind. These exercises often involve controlling and slowing your breath. They may be especially helpful in managing feelings of anxiety and panic.
Do meaningful things with your free time
When you can, do things that you enjoy and that help you relax.
- Read a book/listen to an audiobook. Many public libraries’ websites offer free audiobooks.
- Learn a new skill.
- Create art—draw, build something, etc.
- Journal or write.
- Play puzzles or games.
- Take an online course—various free online courses available.
- Do tasks around your home — organize, do crafts, garden, rearrange your living space.
- Cook something new with ingredients you have at home.
Stay connected with others and maintain your social networks.
Physical distancing (also called social distancing) can change how you usually interact with people you care about. Doing this is essential to lessening the impact of COVID-19.
There are many ways you can build a feeling of connection, even if you can’t see people in person or go places you usually would:
- Make sure you have the phone numbers and emails of close friends and family
- Stay connected via phone, email, social media and video calls
- Offer to help others if you can
- Ask for help when you need it
- Share how you’re feeling with people you trust
- Regularly call, text or email with family and friends who may have more limited social contact— older Americans, those with disabilities, those who live alone, those who are quarantined or at high risk because of chronic health conditions
- If talking about COVID-19 is affecting your mental health, set boundaries with people about how much and when talk you about COVID-19. Balance this with other topics you’d usually discuss.
- If you are living with other people, communicate expectations about how to live well together while staying home
- Do virtual activities together
- Plan virtual dinners and coffee breaks
- Do at-home crafts and activities over a video call
- Watch a virtual concert together
- Read the same book or watch the same movie/tv show and talk about it
- Play online multi-player video games
- Join an online exercise class
Find mental health resources
Being in contact with people who can relate to your experiences can be helpful. It can help you learn information, find resources that suit you and feel supported by people who understand.
NAMI has partnered with the CDC Foundation’s “How Right Now” initiative to encourage adaptability and resiliency throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. HowRightNow.org offers resources in both English and Spanish to address feelings of grief, loss and worry by increasing coping skills and providing strategies for reducing negative behaviors.
Gather information about ways you can get help in a mental health emergency or when you want immediate support:
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I feel isolated and lonely. How can I find connection while quarantined or at home?
Being quarantined or isolated is difficult. While you may not have in-person access to support groups, mental health providers and other support systems, there are online resources that can help.
Find support over the phone
A warmline is a confidential, non-crisis emotional support telephone hotline staffed by volunteers. To find a warmline that serves your area, visit the NAMI Helpline Warmline Directory in the NAMI Resource Library.
Explore online support communities
- NAMI hosts online community discussion groups where people exchange support and encouragement. Create a free NAMI account to join one. Contact your local NAMI Affiliate to see what online and other resources are in your area.
- 7 cups: 7cups.com [En Español]
- Free online chat for emotional support and counseling. Also offers fee-for-service online therapy with a licensed mental health professional.
- Service/website also offered in languages other than English, including Spanish.
- Free, peer-to-peer online support community for people experiencing a range of mental health issues
- Offers online mental health resources, quizzes, news, “ask the therapist” and online support communities
- Emotions Anonymous: emotionsanonymous.org
- Nonprofessional group focusing on emotional well-being in in-person and online weekly meetings
- For Like Minds: forlikeminds.com
- Online mental health support network for people with or supporting someone with mental health conditions, substance use disorders or stressful life events.
Listings of online support groups
- Support Group Central: supportgroupscentral.com [En Español]
- Virtual support groups on various mental health conditions. Free or low-cost. Website also offered in languages other than English.
- The Tribe Wellness Community: support.therapytribe.com
- Free, online peer support groups. Includes groups focused on addiction, anxiety, depression, HIV/AIDS, LGBT, marriage/family, OCD and teens.
Connect to a spiritual or religious community
Connecting with a spiritual or religious community can be helpful to find strength and consolation in times of distress, loss, grief and bereavement.
Give back if you can
- Connect with a local Foodbank through Feeding America. You can find the foodbank nearest to you here and commit to volunteer or donate food to people in your local community.
- If you have contracted COVID-19, you can help support the fight against the virus by donating your blood plasma. The antibodies in your blood plasma could be used to help a patient or used to create a potential medicine. You can find more information about donating your blood plasma for COVID-19 research here and find a donor center near you here.
- Donate to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which is focusing on support for nonprofit organizations working directly to respond to the pandemic among vulnerable populations. This includes organizations focused on supporting low-income households, immigrants, older adults and people with disabilities.
Other mental health articles and tools
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I really need to talk with someone right now. Who can I reach out to?
- Crisis Text Line: text "NAMI” to 741741 to chat with a trained crisis counselor
- Free 24/7 text line for those in crisis (English only)
- SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline [En Español]: call (800) 985-5990. Press 2 for Spanish-language support.
- Provides 24/7 crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call (800) 273-TALK (8255)
- If you or someone you know is in crisis—whether they are considering suicide or not—please call the toll-free lifeline to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7.
- The Trevor Project Resources: Call (866) 488-7386, instant message a counselor on their website, or text “start” to 678678 24/7.
- Trans Lifeline: Call (877) 565-8860 24/7
- Trans Lifeline is a trans-led organization that connects trans individuals to support, community and a variety of resources
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Are people with a mental health condition at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19?
This is unknown. Talk to your provider if you have any concerns about any medications you take and whether they may affect your immune system. Stopping or changing medications is an important decision you should only make in consultation with your doctor.
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I’m a smoker. Am I more likely to become ill from COVID-19? What should I do?
People living with mental illness have a high rate of smoking. In America, 44.3% of all cigarettes are consumed by individuals who live with mental illness and/or substance use disorders. People with schizophrenia are three to four times as likely to smoke as the general population.
Smoking weakens your lung’s natural ability to defend you from illness. People who smoke tobacco or marijuana may be at greater risk of getting seriously ill with COVID-19. COVID-19 is a disease that mostly affects the lungs.
What you can do
If you smoke, consider quitting smoking immediately. There are also steps you can take to smoke less frequently.
- Ask your health care provider about smoking cessation (quitting) programs or over-the-counter quitting aids like nicotine gum or patches. You can buy these at most pharmacies or drugstores without a prescription.
- The National Cancer Institute offers support
- Live Online Help [En Español] offering information and answering questions about quitting smoking. Available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET.
- Phone: 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669)
- All states have “quitlines” (hotlines with counselors who are trained specifically to help smokers quit). Call to connect directly to your state’s quitline. Hours of operation and services vary from state to state.
- smokefree.gov [En Español] offers a variety of resources to help you quit
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