Stay in the know, but don’t obsess! It’s important to remain informed, but obsessing over every post about the virus might do more harm than good, especially to your mental health. According to Northwestern University Psychologist Stewart Shankman, “There’s a point where information gathering could become problematic…and could have the unintended effect of driving up your fear”, thus inducing more anxiety and panic.
Focus on eating well and sleeping well. Evidence has shown that eating well, exercising, and sleeping help boost immunity and promote feelings of well-being.
Try to maintain a “normal” routine. While it might be hard to keep up with your daily routine be it because you are working from home, plans/events canceled, etc., it’s important to stay engaged in as many of your normal activities as possible.
Wash your hands, thoroughly and often! During an outbreak, proper hand-washing is your best defense against a virus. So, follow the evidence-based advice to wash for 20 seconds (2 rounds of singing “Happy Birthday” should do it!) or more using soap and water.