As Barbadians seek to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, they are being encouraged to take proactive steps to look after their mental and emotional well-being, since stress and anxiety can harm their health as well. Shawn Clarke, CEO of Supreme Counselling for Personal Development (SCPD), has acknowledged that a number of persons are feeling anxious and even stressed at this time, given the uncertainty surrounding the duration of the pandemic and its numerous spin-off effects. “First of all, anxiety is a normal reaction to any uncertainty or things we believe will harm us. So as it pertains to COVID-19, we just don’t know what to expect. We don’t know when it will end, we don’t know when they will find a vaccine for it, so it lends to a very uncertain future” Clarke remarked. “People obviously are worried about their health and the health of their family members, their loved ones, both here and outside of Barbados. They don’t know when the children will go back into school. So you are having these children at home to deal with and you are working from home. How do you balance that?” he pointed out. “Then there is the uncertainty of your financial stability. Also, the ability to be a part of some social or community events, if you are accustomed socialising. All of these things have an impact really on people’s stress levels, so you may have a situation where people who are already experiencing a level of anxiety, their anxiety may probably get worse,” Clarke further indicated. He however noted, “With that said, it is important for Barbadians to be kind to themselves first and foremost. We know that it is a stressful time for everybody and it is OK to feel a bit anxious about situations, but it is more important to take time out for yourself, to manage your mental health. The reality is that if we refuse to do that, we really would be causing ourselves some distress and you may find a situation where the spread of panic attacks may be more rampant than the COVID-19 itself.” Pointing out that too much stress and anxiety can take a toll on our bodies, Clarke says Barbadians should take positive and proactive action to protect themselves, by following the necessary precautions issued by the health authorities to ensure that they do not contract or spread the virus, such as engaging in good hygiene practices and staying home when ill. “Taking reasonable action can really, really help you to take back control and to reduce your anxiety, at a time like this. So it’s about eating as well as possible, exercising regularly. Even if you are shut–in, there are still exercises that you can do in the comfort of your own home. Also, ensure you are getting enough sleep. We also need to stay connected with our family and friends. It may not be face-to-face contact, but it can be contact via telephone, via WhatsApp or video calling,” he advised. He meanwhile suggested that Barbadians cut back on the frequent social media updates, which can help to spiral their anxiety and focus mainly on taking information from credible sources.