How to Manage Anxiety about Family Living Overseas during COVID-19

With many of us living far from family during this time of travel restrictions, wellness expert Orion Talmay is posting on the blog today to share some tips for managing anxiety.

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Though the state of the world at the moment isn’t unprecedented in the grand scheme of things, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic might well be a once-in-a-generation challenge. We’re all doing everything we can to get through it safely, and most people are doing their best to protect those around them, but tens of thousands of lives throughout the globe have already been lost.

It would be easier to bear to some small extent if the virus meted out harm in a predictable way, but it doesn’t: recoveries in elderly people and deaths in young people are only adding to the sense of uncertainty. This is leaving so many of us in a state of panic about the people we love. Will they become ill? If so, will they be alright? It’s such a psychological burden.

Even so, we need to carry on as best we can, and that means looking out for our communities — but what about those outside our communities? Many people have family members who live in other countries, after all, and it’s only natural to worry about them. How can you handle the regular anxiety? Here are some suggestions that might prove helpful:

Focus on your personal ambitions

You wouldn’t wish your anxiety upon others, presumably, yet no doubt you have family members worrying about how you’re doing. If you want to help, why not attempt to alleviate that anxiety by working on your long-term goals and showing that you’re doing well? The more you succeed, the prouder your family members will be, and the more you’ll distract them from this situation.

Think about the things that would make you and your family happy. What about finding a new career? Maybe you’ve often talked about a change but never gone for it. Well, this might be the best chance you’ll ever get, especially with more and more industries turning to remote working now (and sites like We Work Remotely making it easy to find interesting roles).

Or maybe you’d like to work on your romantic prospects while everyone is stuck indoors, improving your chances of finding a partner when things get better. You could get in shape, generally contemplate what you’re looking for, or even find some love coaching (if that kind of thing interests you, Orion’s Method might be a must read). If you can honestly tell your family overseas that you’re doing well and feeling positive, they’ll feel better too.

Speak to them as often as you can

This might seem obvious, but there are plenty of people who worry feverishly about events they don’t actually follow, if only because they’re scared to check. You might fear something happening to an elderly relative, for instance, and refrain from contacting them because you don’t think you could bear it to discover that something had happened to them.

It’s understandable, but it’s an issue that you need to overcome if you’re going to get your anxiety under control. Firstly, it allows small worries to grow exponentially: the longer you go without talking to someone, the more convinced you can get that they’ve fallen ill or encountered some other kind of hardship, even if you’ve made no effort to start conversation.

Secondly, it conditions you to believe that you can’t deal with bad news, exacerbating your worry and placing you in a position of great vulnerability. If something does happen to an overseas family member as a result of the pandemic, you’ll get through it, however terrible it may be. Imagining that you won’t is giving in to panic.

Order gifts for them

You can’t visit overseas family members, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get them things. Postal services everywhere may be operating at reduced capacity and getting things delivered more slowly for various reasons, but they’re still operating. I don’t recommend trying to ship anything abroad (you’d want it to be disinfected first, at least), but you can order someone things from within their country.

Take online shopping, for instance. If you’re worried about an elderly relative in another country, why not get them some groceries delivered? Knowing that they have basic supplies should prove reassuring, but you don’t need to stop there. Send them whatever you think might cheer them up: games or gadgets they might enjoy, for instance, or books they haven’t read.

If there are mothers in your extended family, they’re probably having a tough time coping with schools being closed, so send some appropriate gifts. The more time you put into taking care of your relatives, the less anxious you’ll feel about them, because you’ll know that you’re doing what you can.

What else are you doing to keep your anxiety in check during this challenging time?

So many of us have family members living overseas, and it’s entirely understandable to be worried about them, but you can’t let that anxiety wear you down. Use these three tips to get your concerns under control and cheer your relatives up in the process.

About the Author:

Orion Talmay is a wellness expert and love coach. Through her integrative approach, Orion’s Method, she helps women awaken their inner goddess and nurture their feminine confidence. Orion is a graduate of Tony Robbins’ Mastery University and holds certifications with the AAPT, KBA, and AFFA.