Feeling anxious? Here are ways to boost mental wellness during the coronavirus pandemic

<p>The coronavirus has upended the lives of many Americans. Many are feeling crushed by the stress and anxiety brought on by the pandemic.</p><p>A recent poll from the American Psychiatric Association shows that four in 10 are anxious of becoming seriously ill or dying, five in 10 Americans are anxious about contracting coronavirus and six in 10 are anxious about family members getting the virus.</p><p>Additionally, concerns are mounting over the next paycheck, mounting bills and social isolation.</p><p>How do you cope?</p><p>Author of The Happiness Project and podcast host Gretchen Rubin recommends turning to healthy, daily routines to bring some structure to your life. It may not solve major mental health issues, but at the very least get you through your days in a good and calm headspace.</p><p>1: Don't catastrophize</p><p>"Catastrophizing is when you imagine the future and you sort of imagine the worst possible outcome," Rubin says. She suggests, as tempting as it may be now, to stay away from books movies and books that feed your imagination. Another tip is to limit your exposure to the news, especially sort of like sad anecdotal news which is not news news it's just stories that are upsetting and maybe draining and overwhelming for you.</p><p>2: Control with control</p><p>"One thing for people to remember is that they, they can control certain things and then there are other things that are they can't control," says Rubin. As an example, you can spend a lot of time cleaning the surfaces in your house, but you do not need to worry about what's going on with the police department, because you have no influence on the police department and what they're doing. In short, you do you.</p><p>3: Use your social circle</p><p>Rubin says to reinterpret how you socialize with groups you see on a regular basis and find a safe way to communicate. "So for instance, my husband meets a couple friends for drinks, every month or so and so they set up a Zoom meeting and he had like his bottle of whiskey and he poured himself a glass and they all sat and talk," she says. Just because people are forced to stay at home does it meant that you shouldn't continue to make those kinds of plans. Now it also a good time to reach out to people the old fashioned way. "It's funny because everybody wants to connect and somebody said to me like I haven't spoken to so many people on the phone, you know, in the last five years as I have in the last two weeks and in a way that's wonderful and it's great to feel connected."</p><p>4. Write a little</p><p>Research shows is that when people keep a record of what they're experiencing, it's easier to find meaning in what is happening. "We tend to kind of shape our experience as we record it," says Rubin. Keeping a journal, especially during these hectic times, doesn't need to be a heavy lift. Rubin suggests making a one-sentence journal or taking a photograph every day on one thing. "Take a picture of every meal and write a little thing about what was happening that day," she says. "It is often really satisfying later to go back, it helps you process it at the time and then it helps you reflect back on in the future."</p><p>5. Limit the tech</p><p>While technology is a lifeline, it can also become poison. Managing work conference calls, remote learning for the kids and the stream of bad news coming over social media can drain and overwhelm us. "I've spoken to many people who have started pulling back specifically on news so maybe they're not going to check the news before noon or they're going to check the news in the morning or the evening, but they're not going to do the three hour scroll." One good way to take a break is to go outside for a walk or exercise.</p>