Stay in touch with your emotions to reduce pandemic-induced stress

I have written about stress and relaxation numerous times in the past 10 years. The coronavirus has created a variation on that theme.

Everybody, it seems, is stressed out to some degree by the coronavirus pandemic.

It may be anguish over the sickness or death of a friend or family member. It may be anxiety over a job that has been altered or eliminated. It may be disquiet over the competing demands of work and family while working from home.

These are natural emotions during stressful times, says Emily Kroska, a clinical psychologist at the University of Iowa. The good news, she adds, comes from a new study she led that shows how people might reduce their distress.