COVID-19: Here are some ways that your anxiety is creeping out on you

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We all know that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is messing up with our mental health. However, there are times that it suddenly creeps out on you. It’s just too hard to pinpoint or identify because it presents itself in a different way that would usually seem unrelated. With our lives being altered due to the pandemic, it’s no surprise that you do experience a little (or a lot of) anxiety.

Here are some ways that your anxiety is creeping out on you:

Feeling tired more than usual

You probably don’t have the same enthusiasm or vigor each day that you usually do. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Energy loss is the most common and confusing side effect of this pandemic, especially for people that remain typically active or frequent exercisers. Even if you’re not a morning person, you still wouldn’t be a night person right now. The stress and worry drain your energy. By midday, you would feel like you have to lie down because of the exhaustion you experience.

Can’t sleep well

If you’re so tired all the time, you would probably want to sleep. However, you won’t probably fall asleep as much as you want to. Or maybe you do fall asleep; you just don’t have the very good quality of sleep that you’re used to. Insomnia frequently occurs in anxious people. Scientifically speaking, the excess cortisol levels have a negative impact on the quality of rest and the ability to fall asleep.

Channeling energy to hobbies

Are you baking banana bread? Taking free online courses? Learning two new languages? Fostering a dog? Sanitizing your house from top to bottom? Excessive enthusiasm or extreme productivity might have become your coping mechanism and how the anxiety presents itself to you. You may tend to focus your mental energy on these activities to gain control. This remains something that could provide a counterbalance to the sense of having little control over something that makes you anxious.

Not that interested in anything

However, sometimes you’ll feel as if you can’t follow the routine you did for yourself. The pandemic disrupted the sense of purpose you had. Life can feel so meaningless when we can’t even follow our own routine to do the things that are important to us. Of course, that includes working, going to class, or working out. A loss of interest in some of your favorite activities isn’t that out of the ordinary. However, it can also be an indicator that you might need some mental and professional support.

Frequent outbursts

For people who feel that some aspect of their lives is dangling in danger- like health or health of a loved one, job or job loss- it isn’t unusual to feel angry. The more you feel like you’re out of control, the more likely you’ll feel the anger coming out. Those who feel anxious and irritable during the pandemic may relate this to the annoyance of the restrictions imposed. However, it may relate to the anxiety that creeping out on you.