With schools closed and most people working from home or staying inside and away from family and friends, people’s lives have changed profoundly in Massachusetts in just a few days and weeks. All the turmoil and lifestyle modifications from the spreading coronavirus have led to high stress and anxiety levels. But there are things we can do to remain calm during the pandemic.

Dr. Marni Chanoff, a psychiatrist at McLean Hospital in Belmont, said in times of uncertainty people become anxious.

“There's a sense of danger," Chanoff said. "There's a sense of, you know, lack of control,” Chanoff said.

It does help to talk about it, she said, and share your feelings with others.

“Anxiety is to be expected in these kinds of conditions," she said. "So, if you're anxious, you have to know you're not alone.”

Julie Elpus of Wrentham is a wife, mother of three children, a pharmacist and a yoga instructor. She said, in general, she struggles with anxiety, but in these unprecedented times, it’s ramping up.

“When I have it starting to bubble, I can feel it. And right now, it's definitely there.,” Elpus said, “It’s under the surface. It's in my head. And I'm having a harder time trying to sort through it.”

Elpus finds herself thinking about all the “What-if scenarios,” she said, especially when she’s trying to sleep.

“So, for me, it starts with what I call a hamster wheel in my mind," she said. "I start asking questions of myself. And then one question feeds into the next and into the next. And none of them really have answers.”

Worry, nervousness, irritability and a sense of unease are all symptoms of anxiety, Chanoff said. And when people’s minds get anxious, our bodies react.

“And physically we can feel heart palpitations, shallow breathing, muscle tension. And then when anxiety worsens, panic can set in,” she said.

There are thing that we can do to influence our nervous system and calm down.

“We can focus on the areas of our lives right now that we have some control over, starting with the basics of self-care,” Chanoff said. “Sleep. Sleep is really important.”

Other things we can do to reduce anxiety level:

* Maintain a structure at home to foster a sense of normalcy with your family

* Limit screen time, especially two hours before bedtime

* Take a warm bath or shower

* Eat nutritiously

* Try yoga meditation

* Limit alcohol

Elpus is trying to do these things – not just for herself, but to aide her 5th grade daughter, Sami, who finds this entire experience upsetting.

“[It's] scary,” Sami Elpus, 11, said, adding that she’s aware of the coronavirus. “It's kind of like the flu, just a lot worse because we don't have vaccines for it.”

When it comes to children and anxiety, Chanoff said that we should use crafted messaging.

“We can say things like the decision to close schools is the best way for us all to stay healthy,” Chanoff said. “It will be challenging, but we're going to be okay. We'll do our best to keep learning, reading and spending time together.”

Elpus keeps her anxiety in check with breathing techniques from her yoga practice.

But she’s also discovered another way to practice social distancing and feel less isolated – it’s an app that allows her to do a victual visit with family and friends.

“I actually had a friend introduce me to the Marco Polo app, which sounds so simplistic, but I actually love it because you get to visually and virtually connect with your friends,” she said,

Chanoff also recommends that everyone reach out to others during these stressful times, and especially to those with anxiety disorders and substance and alcohol abuse problems, which can increase during stressful times.

“If people are at home alone, they'll be tempted to drink more if they're experiencing insomnia," she said. "They might use alcohol and other substances to help them sleep.”

Because things are rapidly changing,Chanoff said it’s a good idea to come up with a crisis plan – thinking and talking through how your family would handle different situations, like if someone in the house became sick.

Worrying doesn’t help. But knowing we’ve done basic planning can help us feel a sense of control.