(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Americans to adapt to a great deal of change in a short amount of time.
People have been forced to work from home while making sure their children are set up for e-learning because the schools are closed. The challenges of life during a pandemic are magnified by the anxiety of the virus itself.
The fears are normal, according to Joyce Marter, psychotherapist and found of Urban Balance in Chicago. She says its important to focus on the here and now.
"It really is an exercise of controlling what we can and learning to surrender and let go of that which we can't control, which is really really difficult," Marter says.
You can control your ability to remain healthy by following CDC guidelines about hand washing and keeping social distance. You can't control whether another person is doing the same.
As for fears about employment, Marter says to remember that everyone is in the same boat.
"We're all in this together. We're all being impacted. We're all going to work together to get this figured out," Marter says.
She adds that self-care is especially important right now: Exercise, talk to friends, make time for yourself, and don't beat yourself up over trivial matters.