I did not realize it until it was almost too late. I am susceptible to the coronavirus! I was making dinner with a friend who’d just returned from Las Vegas. We were dipping our hands into bowls of raw chopped fresh vegetables to assemble into spring rolls. Suddenly the thought popped into my head that I did not remember seeing my friend wash her hands first. Las Vegas has thousands of people from all around the world, all in close quarters. She could easily have been exposed to the coronavirus and now I am being exposed too. Oh no!

My urge was to ask her to wash her hands, to watch her closely to see if she was touching her face and then the rolls, perhaps even to not eat the rolls. Luckily, I caught myself in time. As an anxiety disorder therapist, I knew what was happening; the unconscious survival oriented part of my brain, what I call the monkey mind, was activated. It was sounding the fight-or-flight alarm, trying to keep me safe. But the notion that coronavirus was a threat to me that day in my friend’s kitchen wasn’t realistic. By following the monkey’s orders I’d be increasing my susceptibility to a bigger epidemic: anxiety. I’d be feeding the monkey, guaranteeing more outbreaks of anxiety.

There are three things I recommend we can do to reduce anxiety and stay healthy in the face of the coronavirus epidemic. First, when we feel the urge to change our normal hygiene habits, ask ourselves what is our basis to do so. Is it anxiety? Don’t make any changes unless they are advised by expert authority, like the World Health Organization or your doctor.

Second, place a limit on your time reading news and social media about the virus. We don’t need to follow every detail. Scary images and words overstimulate the monkey mind, which cannot differentiate between what happened “there and then” and what’s happening “here and now”.

Third, send love to those in parts of the world that are affected by the virus. This can be in the form of prayer, meditation or whatever way you choose. When we send love to others who are in pain or suffering, we are opening our heart, rather than contracting it out of fear. This is the most powerful way we can stay emotionally—and physically—healthy.