Coronavirus Anxiety: Tips For Coping With Pandemic When 'Almost Every Walking Person Could Be The Grim Reaper'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With so much uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic, many people are dealing with anxiety. A local college psychology professor spoke to CBS3 to offer advice on how to cope.
Social distancing, self-quarantining, working from home and shelter in place -- for millions throughout the United States and thousands in the Philadelphia region, this is a new reality.
With that comes unease, uncertainty and the unknown.
"Touch is now toxic. Hugs equal horror and in a sense, almost every walking person could be the Grim Reaper for you," Dr. Frank Farley, a psychological studies professor at Temple University said. "This is so out of whack for our society."
Farley is also the former president of the American Psychological Association. He says these massive life disruptions can lead to depression and loneliness.
"Anxiety is probably at the forefront of all of this," Farley said. "It's not just the isolation factor, the fortress mentality that we have to take in a sense. It's the fear of the unknown. Uncertainty is the prime source of human fear and it seems just about everything is uncertain."
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But Farley suggests the following to keep spirits high.
"Keep standard habits. Your everyday habits of sleep, get as much exercise as you can, eat as well as you can," Farley said.
If you're worried about your job or are newly unemployed, Farley says to "treat it as an opportunity."
"Go online and take a course that might help you get an even better job when things improve. Learn a language."
If you have kids, Farley says to try to keep them engaged while at home and don't feel it necessary to fill them in on all of the details of the pandemic.
"It's very important to not scare the kids -- our most innocent," Farley said. "Let's keep as much of the bad news away from them as possible.
"Winston Churchill, one of the smartest people of the 20th century, used to say, 'If you're going through hell, keep going.' We got to keep going. We've survived worse things in the past. We will get through this."
Farley also says in a time of technology, exploit it.
FaceTime family members, post videos on Facebook, email a coworker. These are easy ways to stay connected and bring a sense of normalcy to this difficult time.
