Managing Omicron Anxiety

Just when we thought we’d come to terms with the Delta variant of COVID-19, along comes Omicron. And the timing couldn’t have been worse. If you were looking forward to a holiday season with fewer restrictions than last year, COVID-19-induced anxiety may be rearing its ugly head. We all now know people with COVID-19 and it feels like it is just a matter of time before we are a close contact, our business is shut due to a positive case or we get COVID-19 ourselves. We’re all wondering what this means for our lives and our families (and our mental health) as we move into 2022.?

After nearly two years of fear, grief, and day-to-day pandemic turmoil — cancelled plans, delayed weddings, missed milestones, financial stress, lockdown loneliness and illness — the emergence of the omicron variant throws another spanner into what we hoped would finally be post-pandemic life in 2022. The human brain doesn’t cope well with uncertainty and defaults to anxiety in the face of a potential threat. We prefer routines and feeling in control. It’s no surprise that a pandemic, which has destroyed any semblance of routine and personal control, has wreaked havoc on many people’s mental health.

Even people who are fully vaccinated or not at risk for serious illness from COVID-19 may feel anxious about Omicron, because so much remains unknown about this variant other than how quickly it is spreading. This uncertainty can make individuals feel helpless, hypervigilant, and anxious. Change can stimulate the amygdala, the fear centre of the brain, and trigger surges of anxiety. When change involves potentially exposing oneself and one’s loved ones to COVID-19, the consequences could include insomnia, panic attacks, depression, impaired cognition, and substance mis-use.?

Coping Strategies For Omicron (And Beyond)?

COVID-19 has in many ways made our world seem unsafe. The things we knew, took for granted, or counted on for comfort are no longer reliably there. Losing them leaves many of us feeling vulnerable and exposed. The best protection against Omicron is to get vaccinated and get your booster shot as soon as you're eligible.

Then focus on the basic pillars of good physical and mental health: a solid sleep routine, regular exercise, nutritious meals, and limited alcohol intake.

Acknowledge what you’ve lost

Everyone, whether they’ve lost a loved one to the virus or not, has experienced a loss during the pandemic: loss of a job, of community, of a routine, of a milestone celebration. This has been termed “ambiguous loss” - the departure of something more amorphous than a relationship or a life. Everyone has lost something during the pandemic.

To help cope with the anger or depression you may feel as the pandemic continues to disrupt travel or holiday plans, be explicit with yourself about what you’ve already lost. Even if you’ve been lucky enough not to lose a loved one, your losses are still painful and meaningful. Naming the loss helps ground your emotions and move on. When we’ve given ourselves appropriate time to mourn those losses, then can we look at that point of loss and see what’s on the other side.

Make plans, but stay flexible

Since day one of this crisis, being nimble and adjusting to changing guidelines on the fly has been integral to coping with the pandemic. This flexibility is still key, perhaps even more so when your patience has run thin and psychological exhaustion is high from nearly two years of changing circumstances. Right now, you should still make future plans as research shows having something to look forward to improves mood, while listening to the latest public health recommendations and being prepared to change course if that guidance shifts.

You may have to be more flexible with your plans and gatherings, which might limit options. Limited options are better than no options when trying to connect with others or take a holiday. It might not be exactly what friends or families may have hoped for; however, this is where it is important to pause and be grateful for what you are able to do. Taking a day-by-day approach may feel antithetical when it comes to plans, but given the uncertain nature of the present, we have to live for the day we have in front of us.

Lean on your networks

It’s admittedly disappointing to make plans you’re excited about, only to have to cancel or postpone them. However, if there’s a takeaway from last year’s lockdowns, it’s that loneliness is terrible for our mental health. Social networks can be an anchor in yet another unmooring time. Even making plans to FaceTime, call, or text a friend if you don’t feel safe meeting in person is beneficial. It’s all too easy in this time to want to retreat and hide away and that might be restorative for you, and if that’s the case, that’s great. Community support is key and being intentional and deliberate about finding that support is important.

Avoid thinking about the worst

Ruminating over worst-case scenarios can help us plan and problem-solve for the future, however it’s possible to over-rely on this type of thinking and get stuck in a perpetual loop of catastrophising. You might end up wracked with anxiety, and instead of working toward a solution, you become immobilised by fear.

Counter catastrophising with “both/and” thinking, which provides space to acknowledge two seemingly conflicting ideas; instead of “We’re surely going back into lockdown and it will be the worst,” try “I hate the unpredictability of this pandemic, and I will get through it.” Rather than wondering “What if the worst happens?” ask yourself ?“What is my current reality?” If that reality involves the sense that the interstate holiday you’ve been looking forward to might not happen as planned, you can acknowledge your frustrations at having to change course. Then, focus on a workable solution, given the circumstances and limitations.

Focus on what’s in your control

One way to increase tolerance of uncertainty and ambiguity is to make a concentrated effort to relinquish control. Implementing public health policies that would bring case numbers down might not be something you personally can do, but you still have authority over your own life, from how you fill your spare time to how you react to the latest news.

Find a glimmer of hope

For most of 2020, COVID-19 vaccines remained a point of optimism; once we were all vaccinated, the thinking went, life could go back to “normal.” Now that reality has shown otherwise, it may be difficult to muster up another dose of hope. But even in moments of despair, we need to have aspirations.

Whether you find that in your relationships or a meaningful pursuit you want to take on post-pandemic, you need something to help you make it through the next day. Even something as simple as sharing what you’re grateful for at the end of each day has been shown to improve happiness.

Check in?with?yourself

Every person reacts differently to the news and there’s no right or wrong way to feel. You may feel anxious, afraid, numb, annoyed, or in denial. You might have even laughed at the utter ludicrousness of the situation. Just about every emotional reaction is normal, however, it helps to be aware of how you feel. COVID-19, and especially Omicron now, can heighten existing problems. It can affect your mood and how you feel and act toward other people, so it helps to try to remember that as you interact with people.

Seek?help

If none of these are helping, or aren’t helping enough, seek support and help from a mental health professional using your workplace Employee Assistance Program or see your GP for a Medicare referral.