Peter Alexander: “What do you say to Americans that are scared?”
Donald Trump: “I’d say you’re a terrible reporter. That’s what I say. I think it’s a very nasty question, and I think it’s a bad signal you’re putting out to the American people.”

Pete was correct about this. Don is in his own fantasy world, as usual. The entire nation is in a state of anxiety. How can you not be anxious?

I go for a walk around the neighborhood daily. Whenever I run into someone, one of us moves to the other side of the street. We might exchange a greeting, but we’re doing it from the a distance. High anxiety!

You listen to the news. Every day the numbers increase. You hear the high death count in Italy. More than seven hundred in a single day. You can’t help but wonder if and when it will happen here? It has to happen here, right? High anxiety!

I’m watching MSNBC Friday night. One of their sound engineers died from the Coronavirus. They’ve been having tributes to him all day. The last one stated that it was the first member of their family to die and as we go forward with this, you most likely will be dealing with this in your own circle of people. Are you fucking kidding me?! How scary is it to hear this said out loud, even though we’re all thinking it? High anxiety!

You keep checking yourself for symptoms. Is that a dry cough? Is it from a cold or the virus? Do I have a temperature? If so, how high? I admit that I spend a lot of time each day feeling my forehead. I need a thermometer. I can’t be the only one looking because they are nowhere to be found. I’ve been to four stores trying to find one. Long gone with no idea when they’ll be in stock again. I’ve called relatives to see if they have an extra one. Who knew thermometers would be as valuable as toilet paper? Btw, I do have a lot of toilet paper. I’m willing to trade some for a thermometer. High anxiety!

So what are we doing about this? How can we tone down the stress and anxiety level at least a little?

Deep breaths help. They really do help you chill…at least for a short time. Any relief is good. Maybe we should stop watching every news program available 24/7. Yeah, being informed is good, but take a break every so often. Last week I watched a baseball game from 1979. Four hours of no news. Yesterday, I watched a movie. Two hours of mindless entertainment. Going outdoors works. Fresh air is a good thing. Naps work, too…provided that you aren’t so anxiety ridden that you can sleep. All this stuff helps to keep the anxiety away. It helps to keep you somewhat sane.

One good thing about this is you and your feelings are not alone. Most people are describing how they are doing as okay, but anxious. We’re all in this together..except in the toilet paper aisle at the grocery store. There it’s everyone for themselves.

Other than this, I don’t know what to tell you. After all, I’m not a therapist. Hmmm…if you’ve got one, maybe give your therapist a call. She’ll probably have some better ideas….provided she’s not dealing with her own case of high anxiety.

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