Dedicate five minutes daily to your mind (mental health like breathing, journaling, or getting outside), five minutes to your body (physical activity like dancing or skipping), and five minutes to your heart (human connection via calls, texts, or letters) to improve overall well-being and resilience.
Integrate “short moments, many times” of calm (taking breaths), kindness (looking loved ones in the eyes), and connection (calling a friend) throughout your day, as these are “bigger better offers” than anxiety and panic.
Understand the mechanisms of your own mind, including how anxiety and habits form, by utilizing accessible resources to gain insight and better manage your responses.
Identify and map out your habit loops (trigger, behavior, reward) to bring conscious awareness to behaviors like stress eating, which helps reduce their perceived reward value and break the cycle.
Actively focus your energy and attention on the aspects of your daily life that you can control, rather than dwelling on uncertainties, to reduce anxiety.
When feeling anxious, bring curiosity to the physical sensation of anxiety in your body (e.g., “where do I feel it? what does it feel like?”), which helps to let go and unwind the anxiety.
Practice calming techniques (e.g., a few breaths, 5 minutes meditation) in “short moments, many times,” and crucially, reflect afterward on how it felt to reinforce the reward value and build new habits.
When feeling anxious, take your own pulse or a couple of deep breaths to literally calm your nervous system, allowing your prefrontal cortex (thinking brain) to come back online and make rational decisions.
If breath focus is difficult due to anxiety, use the simple mantra “feel your feet” to ground your awareness in a tangible sensation, helping to break the anxiety cycle.
Use the five-finger breathing technique (tracing fingers while coordinating with breath) to engage multiple senses and focus awareness, helping to quiet the mind and reduce anxiety.
As a parent, consciously strive to remain calm and relaxed so that you do not pass social contagion (anxiety) onto your children.
When someone is anxious, recognize your “helper habit loop” of trying to fix it; instead, step back, be patient, try to understand their underlying needs, and simply be present with them, perhaps offering a hug.
Purposefully look loved ones in the eyes, remind them you love them, and give them a big hug to foster connection and provide comfort.
Cuddle with existing pets or consider adopting/fostering a pet to gain the benefits of physical contact and connection, especially during times of social distancing.
Engage in physical activity every single day, even simple things like dancing or skipping at home, to boost immune function, improve health, and manage anxiety.
When anxiety is high, match your energy level with active forms of mindfulness like walking meditation in nature, yoga (with awareness), or vigorous exercise, which helps to engage the mind and body.
Practice mindful eating by bringing awareness to three aspects: Why you’re eating (stress, anxiety, or actual hunger), What you’re choosing to eat, and How you’re eating (mindfully or mindlessly).
Practice stopping eating when you are full, as this feels better than overeating and serves as a “bigger better offer” for your brain.
When eating, especially indulgent foods, consciously ask yourself with each bite, “how little is enough?” to prevent overeating and foster mindful consumption.
Bring conscious awareness to habitual behaviors (e.g., smoking, stress eating) to evaluate their actual reward value; realizing they are not truly rewarding opens space for choosing “bigger better offers.”
Set specific limits for checking the news, such as three times a day, to avoid intermittent reinforcement that leads to addiction and increased anxiety.
After checking the news, reflect on what you gained: Did it make you more anxious, or did it provide tangible, helpful information? This helps your brain recognize if the behavior is truly rewarding.
Do not check the news first thing in the morning, as it can immediately raise anxiety levels and set a negative tone for the day.
Before checking the news, engage in a 5-10 minute calming routine like breathing, journaling, or a quick workout to establish a sense of calm and efficiency.
Consciously drink your coffee or tea with no distractions, paying attention to the taste and experience, to find more satisfaction and potentially reduce overall consumption.
Do not watch the news before going to bed, as it can negatively impact your subconscious mind and hinder deep, relaxing sleep.
Engage in simple, repetitive physical activities like tapping a ball to shift focus from anxious thoughts to bodily sensations, helping to reset your mind.
Take sensible precautions (like staying six feet away and washing hands) and actively try to stay as positive as you can, focusing on what you can control, as this time will pass.
Intentionally schedule dedicated time with loved ones, putting away technology and social media, to foster deeper connection and combat isolation.