We are living in uncertain times. This can be anxiety provoking for anyone, but those with tinnitus who have increased baseline anxiety levels are more likely to feel crushed by or pushed into a panic. Below are some recommendations to help those living with tinnitus and increased anxiety find ways to cope.
Put a Plan in Place
Tinnitus and stress go hand in hand. Planning is a helpful tool to help combat increased levels of stress and anxiety during this global pandemic.
- Make a list of the possible problems that could arise. Writing out your specific fears can help ease the feeling of uncertainly and provide clarity to this situation.
- Identify the steps you can take to prevent the problems you listed from occurring. Listing out concrete steps helps you gain some feeling of control.
- Create a supply list you will need combat each of the potential problems you identified.
- Write down a plan of action with as much detail as possible for dealing with the potential problems so you can safely come out on the other side. Include information on how you plan to recover after as well.
Utilize Breathing Techniques
Calming your breathing is a helpful way to cope with elevated feelings of anxiety. One of the most popular method is the Quick Coherence breathing technique. The two-step process includes:
- Focusing your attention on your heart to breathe slower and deeper.
- Making an attempt to experience a regenerative feeling, such as appreciation.
Focus on Healthy Habits
A common tinnitus treatment involves distracting yourself from the ringing in your ears through relaxation techniques, meditation, exercise and more. Since you have more time at home than ever before, this is a good opportunity to utilize distractions that can also improve your mental health.
Prioritize Self Care
Now more than ever, it is important to allow yourself to focus on what you need. This can take many forms from working to improve an aspect of your life, such as your sleep or beauty routine, or trying your hand at learning a new skill or artistic pursuit. Now is the time to do what makes you happy.
Help Others
While it is important to focus on yourself, there is a lot of benefit from helping others. This can be as simple as giving your friends and loved ones a call to check in and see how they are doing during these complicated times, or a larger gesture such as donating money or giving your time to an organization working to help those during these troubled times.
Celebrate the Wins
Things may not go as planned, so it is important to focus on the wins, no matter how small. You may not be able to go to your exercise class, but you can pat yourself on the back for making a healthy choice such as going for a walk. If you didn’t clean your whole house like you wanted, try focusing on something you did accomplish, like washing the dishes in the sink.
While your anxiety and tinnitus may be bothersome, you can take steps to help control them. Contact the experts at Texas ENT & Allergy to learn more or to schedule an appointment today.
