Coping with Anxiety During COVID-19

Photo credit: @ButlerHospital

Butler Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, is sharing words of encouragement and ideas for coping with the mental health impact of the pandemic, spreading messages across its digital and social platforms.

Social media posts let people know “it’s OK to not be OK.”

Lisa A. Uebelacker, Ph.D., staff psychologist at Butler Hospital, part of Care New England Health System, noted: “Life is always uncertain, and we never know the future, but that feels so much more true right now.” She discusses dealing with anxiety during a pandemic in a YouTube video. Dr. Uebelacker encourages people to:

• Build resiliency through connections with family, friends and colleagues.
• Look for meaning and purpose, which could involve choosing to help others and express gratitude, perhaps to health care workers and essential workers.
• Expect and accept that change is an inevitable part of life.

In addition, Butler Hospital’s website features an “Anxiety and Coronavirus” page with many ideas for coping during COVID-19.

One recommendation is to take things one day — or one hour or one minute — at a time. Focus on the present and getting through today.