How are you managing your stress and anxiety? Mental wellness can affect every part of our lives and our cortisol levels are peaking as we experience unknowns and constant change. This fight-or-flight response is programmed into us as humans, but there are ways we can help manage it more effectively.

From conversations with colleagues and alumni, week 2 of working from home was easier than week 1, and week 3 is better than week 2. Now that you’re establishing a routine, consider prioritizing one (or all three) of these stress reducing activities.

1. Talk to Someone You Trust–Whether you FaceTime with a loved one or you take advantage of your organization’s Employee Assistance Program (tele-counseling/therapy), find someone who you can talk through your emotions and feelings. Brene Brown empowers us to name the emotion. By naming it, we gain the power, not the other way around. Many extroverts need time to process aloud, and introverts need social time too to validate what they’re feeling. Sometimes saying it aloud releases the heavy burdens and anxieties we’ve been carrying.
2. Find Your Breath–At least once per day, your Apple Watch might remind you to pause for a minute of mindful breathing. Although this reminder is often ignored, in times of heightened anxiety, finding your breath can slow down your heart rate and bring your focus into something you have full control over—your breath. Practice: Consider breathing in through your nose for four counts, hold for 2 counts, breath out open mouth (like you’re fogging up a mirror) for 6 counts. After two rounds, continue with this cycle, but breathe out through your nose. Five rounds equals one minute.
3. Journaling and Gratitude Recognition—Identifying the silver linings in our current situation are small wins that can add up to higher levels of positivity and happiness. Whether you’re a fan of journaling or you’d prefer to spend as little time as possible on it, choose 2-3 things every day you’re grateful for. Jot them down in a journal, add them to a post-it, engage with your quarantined loved ones over a meal and go around the table to share aloud. This small step of reflecting on the good amidst the chaotic will bring light and a feeling of groundedness.

Remember—humans were built to experience anxiety and stress. No one living has ever experienced what we are experiencing right now. We can’t control everything, but we can control how we react and our behavior. Be well to all.