COVID-19 making you anxious? Here are some tips that may help

Fear over the coronavirus has gripped the world.

But now medical experts say anxiety is on the rise from those individuals concerned about the spread while in isolation.

Just as self-quarantine and social distancing have become the new normal, efforts to fight the outbreak of the coronavirus have caused a number of concerns and triggered a host of stressors for thousands.

"We can't escape it at this point so we just have to manage our own internal responses to it," says local physiologist Dr. Michelle Scoggin.

Scoggins says we are in uncharted territory when it comes to the psychological impact of the pandemic.

From anxiety to anger to depression, she says many people are feeling the effects

"We have our everyday stress, we have the stress of listening to the progression of the virus, and we also have the stressors of not knowing how they're going to be alleviated at this point such as financial issues."

While the rippling effects of the virus continue to drive up stress levels, Dr. Scoggins says finding distractions is key to our mental health

"Try a new hobby. I've been recommending that to my clients. Try something new. Maybe each day when you get up, you decide that you're going to do something different than you did yesterday, just as a distraction technique."

Some are finding their distraction while exercising.

Action News found a group of women enjoying the outdoors at Woodward Park on Friday, after their gym closed.

"Just doing this is helping people to stay sane and not gain the weight or get in line at the store to wait for some toilet paper and chips to go home and watch Netflix," said Fresno resident Terri Reeves.

Experts also recommend staying engaged with others as much as possible, either on the phone or virtually.