Tonya Dalton is a nationally recognized productivity expert, best-selling author, and speaker who also serves as a growth strategist for female leaders in the corporate and entrepreneurial sectors.

With anxiety growing around the COVID-19 pandemic, Dalton recommended siloing your stress to stay productive.

She said you should limit your news intake and use social distancing to work on personal goals.

Voicing things your grateful for can also keep you in a happy, productive state of mind.

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It's a scary time right now — you certainly don't need me to tell you that! But with fear and anxiety comes a decrease in productivity and that is something I hope to help you with. Particularly as we embark on these next few weeks, which will not be resembling our normal day-to-day whatsoever.

Research shows that fear enacts a "fight or flight" response in humans. According to a 2019 article from the Harvard Business Review, fight-or-flight mode is something that occurs when we feel threatened. The primal, more emotional parts of our brain take over and our ability to think long-term, strategize, and innovate decreases.

To lower stress and remain productive, it's more important than ever to actively choose peace over panic. I know it's easier said than done to get out of that negative mindset when we're dragged into it. But we need to stay calm and keep focused if we're going to get through this tough time. Here are a few pieces of advice on how to stay productive during this fearful period.