As mentioned last week, we are living in difficult and confusing times. For many of us, "normal" life is stressful enough. However now, in addition to the normal stressors we face, we now have to deal with major uncertainty and ambiguity. We can try to protect ourselves and our families with social distancing, hand washing, coughing into our elbows, etc. Those are good things and we definitely need to do them, but there are no guarantees. A personal belief is that extended uncertainty of this magnitude is very stressful (in adults and young people alike).

Stress is an interaction an individual and an event or situation. That is why some people aren’t as upset about a situation as others. We’re just different. We have different backgrounds, different genetic make-ups, different training, and other differences too numerous to name.

stress and anxiety, covid-19Joe ScruggsApril 1, 2020

Thoughts for a Difficult Season

One of the great understatements of the day is that we are living in a very troublesome time. There are dilemmas everywhere—medical dilemmas, financial dilemmas, social struggles, political polarization, etc. For many of us, it is a season of significant emotional stress and worry. Also, some of us may be struggling with anxiety related issues. I describe anxiety as “worry on steroids”. It’s tough. With that in mind, here are some thoughts about dealing with anxiety. This is not an exhaustive list (we will be communicating more about this as we go through this season). Hopefully, it can serve as a starter kit for those of us who are struggling.

covid-19, stress and anxietyJoe ScruggsMarch 24, 2020covid-19, stress, anxiety