Penn Medicine clinical psychologist Dr. Thea Gallagher said she has been seeing a lot of panic, anxiety and fear from her patients during the coronavirus outbreak and with information rapidly changing.
"I think you have to take every day one step at a time, one day at a time," Gallagher advised. "You have to check the CDC recommendations briefly and then you have to live your life."
If you’ve decided to quarantine or find yourself feeling edgy, Gallagher said this is the time to use social media. Try FaceTime, pick up your cell phone, call a friend or challenge yourself with something new online.
"And if it’s getting involved in virtual school, or maybe taking time to say, 'Hey, this is something I want to work on in my house,' whether it’s cleaning or reading, shifting your perspective to something that might actually bring you some joy in this time of unrest."
And speaking of rest don’t forget to get yours Gallagher says nothing beats a good nap or a good night's sleep.
"Try not to catastrophize. Try not to panic," she cautioned, recommending a metered response to new information you receive.