Anxiety, stress, worry, fear, uncertainty, dread, sadness, grief: these are all normal and expected responses to a massive disruptive event like a pandemic.

You might be scared of the pandemic, the coronavirus, and the COVID-19 illness. You might have a lot of uncertainty around you job and your ability to keep paying your rent and other bills. You might be in higher risk group and worry about your own health. You might worry a lot about your loved ones. You may feel overwhelmed by changes like working from home, school or childcare closures, or the closure of other services you used to rely on. This pandemic is not just about immediate physical health—it creates fears, stressors, or uncertainties around many different aspects of a person’s life.

Fear is contagious. But calmness, care, and support are also contagious. You may have a lot of complicated feelings around the coronavirus and COVID-19 illness. Denying the problem is unhelpful, and reacting with panic is also unhelpful. It may take time and practice, but finding a calmer, more realistic approach will help you take care of the things you do control and let go of the things you can’t change right now.

Life does go on. It may look a little different right now, and it may take time to go back to the way it used to be. But there’s a lot we can do right now and there is always hope for the future.