Coronavirus wellbeing: struggling with the uncertainty of the pandemic?
Coronavirus wellbeing: struggling with the uncertainty of the pandemic? Your ‘future anxiety’ could be to blame
A new study has revealed how our ‘future anxiety’ levels – aka, the extent to which someone might worry about the weeks or months ahead – could be playing a role in our responses to the pandemic, and why improving our psychological resilience could be a solution for those of us struggling to cope.
Whether you’ve suffered from anxiety in the past or have experienced it for the first time over the last six months, the coronavirus pandemic has certainly given all of us plenty to worry about.
From concerns about our friends and family and anxiety about catching the virus itself to facing financial uncertainty and job instability, it’s hardly surprising that so many of us are feeling on edge.
However, while some people have dealt with these heightened anxiety levels with relative ease, others have struggled to cope with the additional worry of the pandemic. So why is this?
According to a new paper published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, the different impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on our overall wellbeing can be at least partly explained by one key factor: a person’s ‘future anxiety’ levels.
Loosely defined as the levels of concern, worry and negative thinking someone has towards the future, the study suggests that those with a ‘future anxious’ personality type – aka a tendency to fear and worry about future events – are more likely to show significant drops in their wellbeing as a result of the pandemic. ...
