Anyone else waking up early with Covid-19 anxiety?

Been awake an hour now, I wake with extremely anxious thoughts about Covid.

Very annoying. Anyone in the same boat?

Sam Hain

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Been awake an hour now, I wake with extremely anxious thoughts about Covid.

Very annoying. Anyone in the same boat?

No

IamMetaldave

I’ve been waking up at 6/6:30 for the last week but no anxiety. Quite the opposite, since the pubs closed I haven’t had a drink as I’ve zero interest in drinking at home. I’m not saying I was in the pub everyday, but in general my mind is in way better form without the hooch. They were discussing what you’re describing on Newstalk on Monday morning and had some advice for people, could be worth doing a listen back on it, I’m pretty sure it was Pat Kenny.

Quantum Erasure

Deleted User wrote: »

Been awake an hour now, I wake with extremely anxious thoughts about Covid.

Very annoying. Anyone in the same boat?

what time would you usually be up at?

maybe try leaving it a bit later till you go to bed these days, if you're not going to your usual schedule

Around 3am every day if I haven’t been awake half the night because of it anyway. I’ve died 20 times in my head already this morning.

mirrorwall14

I can’t get wound down at night. Trying to get ahead with online teaching prep while minding two kids. My head is spinning. Going back to headspace tonight to see if it helps

Quantum Erasure

There’s a comfort but also a sadness in knowing I’m not alone in this..

Quantum Erasure wrote: »

what time would you usually be up at?

maybe try leaving it a bit later till you go to bed these days, if you're not going to your usual schedule

I’m actually sticking to my usual schedule as I’m an essential worker so still go to work. Still waking up anxious though unfortunately.

Aethan Dor

Deleted User wrote: »

There’s a comfort but also a sadness in knowing I’m not alone in this..



I’m actually sticking to my usual schedule as I’m an essential worker so still go to work. Still waking up anxious though unfortunately.

I am too, I'm a frontline worker and I find I get anxious about the thoughts of catching it and bringing it home to my family, not worried about myself as much more anything bad happening to my loved ones

Sleep has been crap since it all ramped up restriction wise

Aethan Dor

Aethan Dor wrote: »

I am too, I'm a frontline worker and I find I get anxious about the thoughts of catching it and bringing it home to my family, not worried about myself as much more anything bad happening to my loved ones

Sleep has been crap since it all ramped up restriction wise

I’m the same. Frontline worker, I don’t live with my family but I drop shopping to them and I’m terrified of passing it on to them. I wish you well, hopefully all will be ok!

Signore Fancy Pants

Could be worse OP.

Ya could be waking up dead because of Covid19.

DeltaOp

Waking up early with a newborn myself, luckily don’t have to work so staying home. thanks OP for the work hopefully you can ease the anxiety somehow

FTCV041

Actually no, because bad and all as it is, I know there's feck all I can do about it except stay home and do my job!

Guitar_Monkey

Didn't sleep at all on sunday night. Had to ring in to work and stay off.

Away With The Fairies

I was sleeping very little with the worry of it all a few weeks ago. Hard not to worry.

Multipass

Yes. I didn’t think that I was that anxious, but I wake up around 4 or 5 feeling horrible - tingling, tight chest, ears ringing. Finding it impossible to relax, I can’t watch movies or read.

Bobby Baccala

Tbh, I was never really one for anxiety but this morning I woke up and thought about working face to face with the public all day and said fùck that shít. Feel like a lazy **** because of it as the rest of my family are heading out to work as I’m typing this. I’ll probably just spend the day feeling guilty about not going to work now :pac:

Teemarie

Yes I am anxious about bringing it home to childminder. I don't worry so much about myself but worried if kids get it and pass to childminder. Its exhausting everyday trying not to catch the virus. Annual leave this week and it is so much easier.

Queasy Tadpole

7am every morning now. Stress is really getting to me.

LadyMayBelle

I tend to be the opposite. Sleep sleep sleep is my avoidance strategy I think, which also isn't great.

Pac1Man

Waking very early too. Struggling to figure out what to do with all of this left over venison.

road_high

Finding it hard to switch off and get to sleep these nights. Endless scrolling and internet. Can’t imagine the stress and anxiety for frontline workers. I hope they have lots of support and morale to keep going

Rufeo

I sleep like a log. Very difficult to get up. Crisis or no crisis.

road_high

road_high wrote: »

Finding it hard to switch off and get to sleep these nights. Endless scrolling and internet. Can’t imagine the stress and anxiety for frontline workers. I hope they have lots of support and morale to keep going

In my job we have very little support and anxiety is high. On the one hand I’m nervous going in but at the same time, thank god I still have a job.

rainbow kirby

Nope, but that's mostly because I've already had it. I'm waking up and wondering how much energy I'm actually going to have today because I'm still absolutely wiped.

Leg End Reject

No, but I'm working from home and limiting news exposure to once a day.

Unfortunately, I dont think front line workers can avoid anxiety, you're facing the reality of the pandemic every day. I hope you have supports you can avail of to try to cope with the stress and anxiety. It must be an awful time for all involved.

Trigger Happy

Leg End Reject wrote: »

No, but I'm working from home and limiting news exposure to once a day.

Yeah, this is it for me too. Have had to cut down on the news as was getting to me.
Have also cut out whingers and worriers from my daily discourse...they want nothing more than to bring me down to their level of whinging and worrying.

TheBoyConor

I wake up with a tickle in the back of my throat and I worry have I got it. But then it wears off and I'm grand.
Every once in a while I get an urge to do a cough. And I worry. But then I'm grand.

I think it is normal to be hypersensitive and conscious of things at the moment.

RobertKK

No.

My fitbit says I got 9hrs and 9 minutes sleep last night. Woke up feeling refreshed and another day of no one bothering me.

uck51js9zml2yt

No. What are you afraid of?

Leg End Reject

Maximo Straight Self-respect wrote: »

No. What are you afraid of?

The OP and others here are front line workers. They're at risk of exposure ( none, or inadequate PPE) and also at risk of bringing it home.

RobertKK

Leg End Reject wrote: »

The OP and others here are front line workers. They're at risk of exposure ( none, or inadequate PPE) and also at risk of bringing it home.

Yeah some of us have it so easy compared to others right now, and what is required of us is very easy in comparison to others.

Clegg

Haven't been waking up at night with anxiety or panic issues, but I definitely feel it during the day. The suggestion about limiting the amount of social media and news you consume is a good one. I asked about in in a different thread and that was suggested to me. Since I've cut back on media consumption I've started feeling a bit better.

Another good suggestion was also to stop reading the main Covid 19 thread on Boards.

ChikiChiki

Waking up not a problem, getting to sleep is. Have not fell asleep earlier than 2 all week having gone to bed at 11.

rainbow kirby

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Nope, but that's mostly because I've already had it. I'm waking up and wondering how much energy I'm actually going to have today because I'm still absolutely wiped.

Wow. What was it like?

rainbow kirby

Woke up with a sore throat on March 20th, full on fevers, chills, body aches, nausea etc by lunchtime. Cough started shortly after. Had a fever for nearly a week, was virtually bedbound for 12 days. A lot of that time was spent drifting in and out of sleep, but because of upper respiratory tract involvement, frequent nosebleeds and ridiculous post nasal drip fuelling the cough I had to sleep sitting up. The cough got so bad in the second week that I ended up calling an ambulance, but wasn't brought in. Between the sore throat and the secondary infections I picked up (my immune system is clearly a total winner, I got both bacterial and viral secondaries so a week of very heavy meds) I could only eat soft and bland food for over 2 weeks, still a little wary of spicy and acidic food.

20 days on... I am wiped. I am 35 and was healthy before if a bit overweight, running when I could and chasing two toddlers. My kids spent 16 days isolating with their dad while I was ill. My big efforts today were a 20 minute walk to a fancy cheese shop and tidying my kids' bedroom. Each required a half hour rest afterwards.

It's going to be a long recovery.

rainbow kirby

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Woke up with a sore throat on March 20th, full on fevers, chills, body aches, nausea etc by lunchtime. Cough started shortly after. Had a fever for nearly a week, was virtually bedbound for 12 days. A lot of that time was spent drifting in and out of sleep, but because of upper respiratory tract involvement, frequent nosebleeds and ridiculous post nasal drip fuelling the cough I had to sleep sitting up. The cough got so bad in the second week that I ended up calling an ambulance, but wasn't brought in. Between the sore throat and the secondary infections I picked up (my immune system is clearly a total winner, I got both bacterial and viral secondaries so a week of very heavy meds) I could only eat soft and bland food for over 2 weeks, still a little wary of spicy and acidic food.

20 days on... I am wiped. I am 35 and was healthy before if a bit overweight, running when I could and chasing two toddlers. My kids spent 16 days isolating with their dad while I was ill. My big efforts today were a 20 minute walk to a fancy cheese shop and tidying my kids' bedroom. Each required a half hour rest afterwards.

It's going to be a long recovery.

Oh Jesus, that sounds extremely rough. Glad to hear you are on the mend after all that.

Well that didn’t help the anxiety one little bit. Probably wasn’t the thread for that story.

I think of myself as someone with very good mental health these days. Historically not. Many tools and practices and so on in place to ensure I never back slide to where I used to be.

But because of this I am hyper aware of the background angst/anxiety this whole thing has caused. Partially around me and mine catching the virus and suffering. But mostly around areas I am relatively ignorant about - like the economy and social cohesion.

I am aware that like the sea beating against even a strong wall - erosion of the wall will win eventually - that eventually even a low level of anxiety could overwhelm anyone's mental health.

Part of me never wants to get this infection of course. Another part of me thinks if I am going to get it - then I hope sooner rather than later just to get it over with so that background anxiety goes away.

One thing messing with my head is that I have not been sick with so much as even a sniffle in 10 years or so. Literally nothing.

I do not know what that means. But my brain keeps telling me either it means I have an incredibly good immune system that takes all infections and issues on without me even knowing it - or I have been lucky never to be infected with anything and if I do get something serious my untrained system will not know what to do with itself and I will just be wiped out.

I am hoping the former of course - which given how many people I have been exposed to over the last 10 years would make the most sense.

biko

You probably won't get it OP.
And if you do, you probably won't even know it.
And if you know it, it'll probably be mild symptoms.
And if you get strong symptoms, you probably won't need a ventilator.
And if you do need a ventilator, you probably won't die.
And if you die, you have no more anxiety.

leggo

I used to have an awful time with anxiety, like I’d over-analyse every step I’d take on a busy street, I remember a friend noticing that every time I’d pay by contactless I’d get really antsy in case I’d paid 3 times and it rejected and I’d have to try again and what would people think?!! It was constant and crippling in hindsight. And that’s before anything major happened and I’d just fall apart.

Headspace was a godsend. It teaches you that anxiety is an entity unto itself. You’re not anxious because of certain things happening, you’re anxious because you’re not managing your anxiety. It’s so simple to do the daily exercises they have and it’ll legitimately change your life. Now when I get anxious in any situation, I can identify it, catch it and be done with it in seconds.

It’s not even that it’ll make your worries go away. I have a close relative in a nursing home, for example, and they’re constantly on my minds these days with what’s in the news. But I can still work, sleep, function and get on with my daily life. I can contextualise that this situation is beyond my control and I can’t help it beyond doing my bit and following the guidelines, that if I get something wrong along the way that’s okay because I’ve had to learn an entirely new way of life within a few weeks and mistakes can happen, that if something happens someone I love I’ll deal with it then etc. Might seem straightforward but if you’re suffering with anxiety you’ll know how big of a deal getting that bit of space is. It could be a good time to put some focus on this and use this situation to teach yourself a skill you’ll benefit from for life.

rainbow kirby

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Well that didn’t help the anxiety one little bit. Probably wasn’t the thread for that story.

Well someone did ask! I'm not exactly going to sugar coat it.

wakka12

I'm having trouble sleeping but its because of restlessness due to lack of socialising and stimulation during the day rather than anxiety about COVID. Tbh I kind of forget about COVID from time to time throughout the day until it comes on the news

Rufeo

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Woke up with a sore throat on March 20th, full on fevers, chills, body aches, nausea etc by lunchtime. Cough started shortly after. Had a fever for nearly a week, was virtually bedbound for 12 days. A lot of that time was spent drifting in and out of sleep, but because of upper respiratory tract involvement, frequent nosebleeds and ridiculous post nasal drip fuelling the cough I had to sleep sitting up. The cough got so bad in the second week that I ended up calling an ambulance, but wasn't brought in. Between the sore throat and the secondary infections I picked up (my immune system is clearly a total winner, I got both bacterial and viral secondaries so a week of very heavy meds) I could only eat soft and bland food for over 2 weeks, still a little wary of spicy and acidic food.

20 days on... I am wiped. I am 35 and was healthy before if a bit overweight, running when I could and chasing two toddlers. My kids spent 16 days isolating with their dad while I was ill. My big efforts today were a 20 minute walk to a fancy cheese shop and tidying my kids' bedroom. Each required a half hour rest afterwards.

It's going to be a long recovery.

Any idea how you contracted the virus

rainbow kirby

Rufeo wrote: »

Any idea how you contracted the virus

Just plain old community spread in Manchester. I got ill four days after my last day in the office.

Lux23

I was in the beginning, but now I appear to be over the anxiety of Covid-19 and back to worrying about all sorts of other crap like study and work.

the beer revolu

I was very anxious about what was going to happen around the time the schools were closed. I remember going to bed kinda shell shocked hoping to wake up to find it was all a bad dream.
My wife went to the UK to see her mum that day.
I was anxious about her not getting back.
Anyway, she cut her trip short and since she's back and the two weeks are well up, I'm really not anxious about it at all.

I'm obviously very concerned about all the sick and dying people and I worry about how the global economy will be after all this. I'm bored.

But I'm just not anxious about catching the virus. I've had no close contact with anyone apart from Mrs beer for 4 weeks, now.

I'm in a constant state of dread. I've a tiny baby and my husband works in a hospital, so I'm feeling pretty vulnerable to begin with. The extra layer of worldwide horror overlaid on general postpartum stress is the stuff of nightmares. I don't get much sleep, but when I am asleep it's another chapter in the ongoing nightmare I'm having that involves losing half my family and being unable to say goodbye.

Should have been the happiest year of my life. It's not.

Montage of Feck

Waking up early isn't so bad these times, nice weather and little traffic so you can let the window open and hear the birds singing in the morning.

the beer revolu

Candie wrote: »

I'm in a constant state of dread. I've a tiny baby and my husband works in a hospital, so I'm feeling pretty vulnerable to begin with. The extra layer of worldwide horror overlaid on general postpartum stress is the stuff of nightmares. I don't get much sleep, but when I am asleep it's another chapter in the ongoing nightmare I'm having that involves losing half my family and being unable to say goodbye.

Should have been the happiest year of my life. It's not.

No matter what way you look at it, that's a tough situation. Anxiety for your little baby is natural.
*virtual hugs *

the beer revolu

the beer revolu wrote: »

No matter what way you look at it, that's a tough situation. Anxiety for your little baby is natural.
*virtual hugs *

Ah, I will be doing my best to drag my mood up though it's hard when you're shattered.

One thing I have found out or had underlined in the middle of all this mess is that people are lovely. Individuals might not be, but humans generally are a nice bunch all supporting each other and helping each other out. So that's one nice thought to hold tight to.

Thanks for the hugs, always appreciated.

iamwhoiam

Candie wrote: »

I'm in a constant state of dread. I've a tiny baby and my husband works in a hospital, so I'm feeling pretty vulnerable to begin with. The extra layer of worldwide horror overlaid on general postpartum stress is the stuff of nightmares. I don't get much sleep, but when I am asleep it's another chapter in the ongoing nightmare I'm having that involves losing half my family and being unable to say goodbye.

Should have been the happiest year of my life. It's not.

Aw I am sorry you have this stress . Wish I could help you . As someone said to me lately we have a generation struggling with kids and worries and another generation feeling really helpless and want to help out