Everyone feels anxious or nervous from time to time. It is a completely natural, normal feeling to have. In fact, the feeling of fear is an evolutionary mechanism which can keep us safe from danger. We should be cautiously afraid of bears, extreme heights, poisonous snakes, and tornadoes. Avoiding or protecting ourselves from such things keeps us alive. But healthy fears can morph into obsessions or chronic anxiety, which can have a negative impact on quality of life.

As humans, we don’t like to feel out of control. We feel most comfortable when we can recognize a problem or danger and use our skills and creativity to solve it before it harms us. But not all problems can be solved. As an inhabitant on a planet where people are mortal, where nature cannot be tamed, and where immorality exists, we can only control so much.

Over the past 3 years, humanity has been under an extreme amount of stress and fear. Unfortunately, chronic worry actually shrinks the size of your temporal lobe (responsible for memory, learning, and attention) and increases the size of the amygdala (responsible for processing emotions of fear or aggression). This makes you less able to think critically and reinforces your fear because the brain is primed to be triggered by fearful stimuli. Having a normal and healthy fear of a novel virus has morphed into a chronic fear of something that we have very little control over. And now many of us are being asked to return to in-person work. Eek!

Tips to help

What can you do if you’re feeling anxious about returning to work? Here are a few tips:

1. Evaluate your true risk. It may surprise you, but it may be a lot lower than you think. Remember that the media is a business that profits from views and clicks. Fear sells. Look to your national or provincial statistics to be more informed, rather than rely on sensational stories.
2. Control what you can, but let go of the rest. You can support your immune system by exercising, eating healthy foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants, getting adequate sunshine, speaking to a naturopathic or functional medicine doctor about supplementation to support immunity, and making informed medical decisions. You can’t control what anyone else does and as much as you’d like to, you can’t control whether you get sick. COVID is endemic and like the common cold or flu, we need to learn to coexist with it in as healthy way as possible. You don’t have to choose between recklessly throwing all caution to the wind or locking yourself up forever. There is a healthy middle-ground.
3. If knowing your true risk (see #1) and controlling what you actually can (see #2) is not enough to help you calm your fears, try some amygdala-soothing practices such as Reiki, meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, or spending time in nature. You can learn to control your stress response with practice! Learning to do self-Reiki (Reiki level 1) is another great way to become more attuned to and aware of your own body’s response to stress and to take time for self-care in those moments.
4. At work, take some time to de-stress every day. Go outdoors for a walk at lunch, spend some time with colleagues, and take reasonable precautions (such as washing your hands and staying home when sick).
5. Get help if needed. Many workplaces have extended health plans that cover psychotherapy and counseling. Many more have employee assistance plans (EAPs) that cover short-term counseling sessions. Professionals can help you with further strategies to deal with your anxieties.

Conclusion

It’s not your fault that you’re feeling this way. Your brain has been bombarded with fear for 3 years, making your amygdala (fear response) stronger. I know that dealing with fears is challenging and scary, but living a happy, balanced life is an important enough reason to take positive action.

Disclaimer: This post is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health-related issue.