"May you live in interesting times." No one knows for sure if those words truly were an ancient Chinese curse. But the phrase sure is apt here in 2020!

Every few weeks, I find the pandemic fears seep a little more deeply into my consciousness. The reality that this isn't ending anytime soon feels a little more real. Anxiety settles deeper into my heart. I often feel unsettled — without always being able to understand why.

According to a recent American Psychiatric Association poll, more than one-third of Americans feel that the pandemic is gravely impacting their mental health. People feel anxious, forgetful, sleepless and angry.

Doctors are on the front lines of the pandemic — many working longer hours than ever, under extremely stressful circumstances. Here's what our Mommy M.D.s — doctors who are also mothers — do to handle their own pandemic stress.

"Initially, I was not handling it well," says Nilong Vyas, M.D., a mom of two, a board-certified pediatrician and the founder of Sleepless in NOLA sleep consulting in New Orleans. "My inability to plan for the future with so much uncertainty was debilitating. But as we got to know more facts and settled into more of a routine, the stress lessened. Also, when I was able to get back to my self-care routine of exercise and socializing (albeit virtually), the stress lessened."

"I'm trying to give myself downtime every day," says Marra S. Francis, M.D., a mom of six children and an OB-GYN in Helotes, Texas. "The mom taxi has significantly slowed down, so I am no longer running around from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. I am taking full advantage of this break."

"I am trying to follow the advice I give my patients," says Brooke A. Jackson, M.D., a mom of twin girls and a son, a dermatologist, founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology Associates in Durham, North Carolina, and author of the forthcoming book "Skincare for Runners." "Those things are:

— Be gentle with yourself.

— Exercise.

— Meditate.

— Get outdoors every day.

— Eat healthfully. We have transitioned to a plant-based diet.

— Connect.

— Have quiet/device-free time every day.

— As the flight attendants say, 'In case of emergency, put your own mask on first.'

— Adjust your expectations. (We are all in survival mode. This is not a normal time, so you have to adjust your expectations of yourself.)

— We also do family yoga, take walks or do meditation three or four nights a week.

— We have dinner together most nights, which was not the case when we were all on the pre-COVID hamster wheel of life.

— Practice gratitude.

"I am proud of my kids for their flexibility," Jackson continued. "We talk a lot about resilience, and I remind them that, although there are disappointments (my daughter is missing her basketball season that she has been looking forward to all year), we are safe, healthy and have food on the table. I explain there will be other times in life where they have to 'be in the moment and be thankful,' and I want to introduce them to skills that will help them manage the next stressful situation."

"As a mommy and an M.D. (a psychiatrist who also has a master's in public health), I have been very concerned about the public health messages of gloom and doom that have been given out about COVID-19," says Carole Lieberman, M.D., MPH, a mom of one daughter, a psychiatrist and an author who served years on the clinical faculty of UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute. "They only serve to frighten and depress people, making them feel helpless. So, I've taken my top 10 ways to prevent getting sick from the coronavirus (or other illnesses) by empowering your immune system, and I put them into an anagram to help people remember and practice them every day: H-E-A-L M-Y-S-E-L-F:"

— Healthy, nutritious food.

— Exercise — walks in the sun or dancing in your living room.

— Aromatherapy — candles or flowers around your home.

— Laughter — one hour a day.

— Meditation or calming music.

— Your choice of vitamins and supplements.

— Sleep — 8 hours a night.

— Engage with friends and family to support one another.

— Limit your daily intake of gloom and doom.

— Follow your passion.

Jennifer Bright is a mom of four sons, co-founder and CEO of family- and veteran- owned custom publisher Momosa Publishing, co-founder of the Mommy MD Guides team of 150+ mommy M.D.s, and co-author of "The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years." She lives in Hellertown, Pennsylvania. To find out more about Jennifer Bright and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Fotorech at Pixabay