Love & Anxiety in the Age of COVID

2021-06-14

Ever been told, “You need to calm down”? One of the most complicated parts of an anxiety disorder is having a sweetheart, best friend, or boss that just does not get it. We’re all painfully aware of the physical toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on us over the last 15 months, but we also have to acknowledge the mental toll we’ve suffered. There are actually two pandemics working in tandem: one is viral, the other is anxiety and emotional suffering. Today, I talk about how the pandemic has affected not just our physical ...

Ever been told, “You need to calm down”? One of the most complicated parts of an anxiety disorder is having a sweetheart, best friend, or boss that just does not get it.

We’re all painfully aware of the physical toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on us over the last 15 months, but we also have to acknowledge the mental toll we’ve suffered. There are actually two pandemics working in tandem: one is viral, the other is anxiety and emotional suffering.

Today, I talk about how the pandemic has affected not just our physical health, but our mental health, too. I’ll explain what exactly anxiety is, how we experience it in our bodies and in our minds, and what we can do about it. I’ve suffered from anxiety myself, and I know exactly how nasty it can get. We’ll take a look at how we can approach the issue from a Buddhist perspective and incorporate some valuable psychological teachings, as well.

In this episode, I talk about how we’re descended from anxious cave people! The instincts that once kept us alive now manifest as catastrophizing - in other words, we freak out AS IF we are in mortal danger. I discuss how the body can’t separate fact from fiction, and how knowing this is your super power to start helping yourself calm your mind. Learn to accept that anxiety isn’t something you do to yourself for fun, that the pain is real, and how to separate the story from the reality...so you can manage your mind and live your best life.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

An anxiety disorder is a pattern of anxiety that interferes with daily life (03:17)
Telling someone with anxiety to “just relax” is one of the worst things you can do (08:12)
How our genes evolved to use anxiety as a means to survive (10:30)
The body believes everything the brain tells it - So change your brain! (13:58)
That you can rewrite the story your anxiety is telling you (18:58)
It takes the body much less time to become anxious than it does to come down from it (24:53)
Your weekly LoveByte (26:37)

Q&A:

What are some physical symptoms of anxiety? Anxiety can present physically as the urge to evacuate bowels or bladder, stomach discomfort, body aches, headaches, chills, and sweating, just to name a few.
What are some psychological symptoms of anxiety? Mental symptoms of anxiety include pervasive worry over trivial issues as well as being unable to sleep.
Why do humans experience anxiety? Anxiety stems from the way humans evolved to think to ensure their survival millions of years ago.

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