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With the threat of COVID-19 gripping the world, Queen鈥檚 University professor Tom Hollenstein uses his research into how we manage emotions to offer insight into how we are dealing with weeks of disruption, near isolation, and the threat of getting sick.

鈥淩esisting anxiety is part of the anxiety,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here are things we just don鈥檛 know, and we need to accept that. We need to accept the uncertainty. We are all anxious and that鈥檚 not bad or wrong. Things have changed in the world. We are getting more information faster and faster and things seem more imminent than ever before."

After Dr. Hollenstein鈥檚 classes were cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, he decided to write something for his students to help them cope. Because that message for his students can be applied to everyone, he also published it on Medium.

鈥淭he most prominent feature of the current situation is the difficulty to predict what will happen, a loss of control,鈥� Dr. Hollenstein says in his research piece. 鈥淭his is true on the best of days but may be more intense with uncertainty about the global situation we are in. The most successful approaches in these situations involve controlling what you can and trying to accept the rest.鈥�

Dr. Hollenstein also talks about trying to distract yourself to lower your anxiety which could include reading a novel, playing a game, watching a movie, doing some spring cleaning, baking or cooking 鈥� things you鈥檝e always said you wished you鈥檇 had time for. He also says people should reexamine the situation 鈥� for example instead of asking 鈥渨hat does this mean for me?鈥� you could say 鈥渨hat does it mean for others.鈥�

Reframing the situation also could work,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he entire world is grappling with their uncertainties, responses, and self- or other-imposed social distancing, just like you. We are all in this together. There are very few moments in which we can perceive the entire planet sharing the same experience. Often this comes from common threat. This may not diminish your anxiety, but it might change your sense of feeling alone or lonely over the coming weeks.鈥�

He adds social support is also critical as the world waits for life to normalize. 鈥淲e should think of this as distant socializing instead of social distancing. Providing support to others, even in a digital way, is just as effective if we are alone and anxious. New technology allows us to transcend time and space and engage each other just enough to get us through this.鈥�

To read the full research piece "Regulating Emotions in a COVID-19 World" visit听.

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This article originally appeared in The Queen's Gazette.