Melissa Kemlage and Kayla Reilly, two licensed therapists in Wilmington, NC come together to send you some strategies on managing your anxiety.
Be Creative with Self Care
Find ways to make yourself feel good. Don’t judge yourself and don’t try too hard. Find small things that help you take a few moments of pleasure each day.
Some ideas are: take a bath or soak your feet in warm water (throw in some essential oils to bring more of a relaxing boost), sit outside in the sun and focus on the sounds, or maybe just find a quiet place to tune in to your breath to help you feel grounded.
It’s Okay To Not Be Okay- Honor Your Feelings
Don’t let Coronavirus turn your inner dialogue into a critical biatch. It’s okay if you’re not doing home projects. It makes sense that you’re tired. You can’t get rid of fear and stress by getting angry with yourself. Validate yourself like you would with a friend. This isn’t a vacation, it’s an international pandemic.
When we judge our own emotional state it adds frustration and stress to whatever we were originally feeling. It’s better to let yourself be stressed than to be mad at yourself for being stressed AND stressed.
Physical Distancing… Not Social Isolating
It’s important to make connections to keep us out of that irrational fear of impending doom that anxiety can bring to our consciousness. Just the act of talking to others on a regular basis can ground us.
Everyone can find somebody to reach out to in order to not feel isolated and alone in this situation. If you live alone, reach out to someone outside the home. Not sure who to reach out to? Scroll through your phone contacts and social media friends… we bet there is someone you haven’t thought of *wink*.
About the Authors
Melissa Kemlage MeD., LCMHC is a licensed therapist in Wilmington, NC. She specializes in self-acceptance and self-love. She enjoys working with individuals and couples to find their strength in relationships. She utilizes a mind-body-spirit approach to help clients find balance in their physical, spiritual and emotional well-being.
Kayla Reilly MSW, LCSW is a licensed therapist and founder of Evolution Wellness, a counseling center in Wilmington, NC. She specializes in relationships and helps people be better in every relationship role they have. When she’s not busy helping people conquer their mental health and relationship wellbeing, you can find her snuggling her dogs, reading, or playing a mean game of poker.
Evolution Wellness is a counseling center in Wilmington, NC that offers individual counseling and couple’s counseling. Our professional counselors are trained to listen with empathy and expertise and offer guidance to facilitate your personal growth.
If you are ready to move forward from the setbacks that COVID-19 has caused, consider counseling at our Wilmington, NC-based counseling practice, or online in North Carolina.