Stress can make you sick and with the events of the past couple of weeks the stress level here and around the world has moved off the charts. Anxiety, panic, worry...all are part of what we are going through and probably will for quite some time.

With updates and breaking news and information round the clock people are listening to the radio, watching television and constantly checking their mobile phones for bulletins and updates.  In information supplied by the American Heart Association licensed clinical psychologist Debra Kissen from Chicago notes " it's really the perfect recipe for anxiety and panic." That combination can lead to heart disease and stroke.

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Kissen advises that anxiety and stress can be manged and using social media can be helpful if used properly.  In that same article from the American Heart Association Keith Hampton who is a professor of media and information at Michigan State University says social media amplifies stress by giving us a personal connection to people experiencing bad news directly.

Advice from the experts ?  Use social media to connect to others  and share positive, good things as well as the bad.  Reach out for support from your friends and colleagues.  Although physical distancing is key in stopping the spread of COVID-19 isolating yourself socially can amplify your anxiety and lead to major health issues like high blood pressure, stroke or heart issues.  The experts urge you not to socially isolate yourself.

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