Reducing Anxiety and Stress Caused by the COVID Vaccine
This post is not meant to provide medical advice, nor to steer you in any direction on the vaccine. It’s function is to support your emotional state with stress reducing options wherever you are on your COVID journey, and whatever choices you decide to make.
Should I get it? Is it safe? What if it doesn’t work? What if I have a reaction? Am I taking someone else’s place in line? How long do I have to wait before i can get it? Will I be ostracized if I choose not to get it? Will enough people get it? So many thoughts can come up when trying to get the COVID vaccine, considering whether or not to get the vaccine or when choosing not to get the vaccine. We’ve already had so many stressors to deal with during this pandemic. So much to feel anxious about and this can seem like just another in a long line. Just something else to avoid, put on the back burner or push away.
Anxiety though, is an early warning system. Our cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine all get raised in our blood stream preparing us for Fight/Flight/Freeze. Like the tingles we might get up and down our spine if we sense a tiger hiding in the bushes, it says, “Hey, be alert. There is something to pay attention to here.” That is the upside of anxiety. However states of prolonged anxiety whether high or low, diminishes the effectiveness of our immune function and has negative effects on our respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It also shunts our critical thinking and decision making, as well as just plain makes us feel bad.
If we are in the process of deciding what we want, what best serves us and those we love, reducing the anxiety can support us in coming to our decisions with a higher sense of clarity. Once those decisions are made, reducing anxiety supports us in being at peace with our choice and supports us to receive the maximum benefit from our decision.
Some options to help reduce anxiety include:
Personal Resources: These are things that simply make us feel good. It could be talking or laughing with a friend, engaging in a cherished hobby, watching your favorite movie or spending time petting a pet.
Physical Activity: The more regular you can be about this the better. Even 5 minutes a day or several times per week is helpful. Make it something that you enjoy. Exercise reduces cortisol and releases positive endorphins, thus lowering anxiety.
Nature: Our nervous systems evolved in communication with the natural world. The sights, the colors, sounds, smells and textures calm and soothe us. Studies show that even those who don’t enjoy the experience of being out in nature receive benefits. Of course if you can enjoy it, so much the better. If you have a place to immerse yourself in it that’s wonderful. However nature is all around us, so watching birds in your yard, staring at a flower in out your window or watching ants crawl around on the sidewalk are all simple ways of getting some nature connection. What’s your favorite method?
Stay tuned:Next month I’ll be starting my Shinrin Yoku Forest Bathing walksagain. Virtual for sure and maybe limited in person options as well.
Compassion: It can be so easy to judge ourselves and other harshly. We all do it, likely far more than we notice and far more than we care to admit. We may even judge ourselves for feeling anxious. Criticizing our own thoughts and feeling we should just get over it. That just feeds the cycle and crates more anxiety. When we are being gentle, offering compassion, acceptance and care both for ourselves and for others, we feel less anxious and people say they feel happier and more connected.
Minfullness: Mindfulness is being aware of your own mind. It is observing without judging your thoughts and feelings. It allows you to notice and challenge the idea that, this anxious thought that I’m having, in this moment feels like it represents my whole universe and is absolutely true and I must respond a certain way. With mindfulness we slow things down, become the observer of our experience and we open up more choices.
EFT Tapping: EmotionalFreedomTechniqueaka EFT Tapping is a process of stimulating the meridian points used in acupuncture and acupressure to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. When it is paired with the thoughts that cause us stress we are literally retraining the body to be able to have the thought without having to have all negative consequences. EFT lowers blood pressure, lowers cortisol and reduces or eliminates stress and anxiety which boosts your immune system.
Recently I’ve had a number of clients come to me for EFT Tappingto reduce their anxiety prior to getting the COVID vaccine which was the inspiration for this article. Sometimes one session is all we need. Other times we do additional sessions if there are deeper dynamics we decide to examine and heal. Either way we hone in on the specific thoughts and anxieties that come up for you. Then we customize our tapping to release what limits you. Whether COVID related or otherwise, if there’s something you’ve been struggling with, reach out and let’s explore how I can support you.
