Kevin Love, power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers, is a five-time All-Star who won an NBA championship with the Cavs in 2016. Sounds like a formula for confidence, doesn’t it?

Think again.

"For 29 years," wrote Love, "I thought about mental health as someone else's problem. Sure, I knew on some level that some people benefited from asking for help ... I just never thought it was for me."

An anxiety attack during a game with the Atlanta Hawks helped convinced him otherwise.

In this era of high anxiety brought on by COVID-19 and economic hardships, it's important to not let situational or temporary anxiety become chronic.

When you encounter a situation that causes you to become anxious, you may feel your pulse speed up or experience nausea, difficulty breathing, and dizziness. But according to a new study in Nature Scientific Reports, you can defuse that response so it doesn't morph into a pattern of repetitive, self-generated negative thoughts.

If you're feeling anxiety more frequently these days, try these steps:

• Engage in 300 minutes of aerobics and strength training weekly.

• Consider cognitive behavioral therapy to help tamp down fears.

• Talk to your doctor about getting a diagnosis and medications to help defuse anxiety. 

• Practice mindfulness and applied relaxation like deep breathing. Check out the Breathe by Dr. Jud app, a free mind-calming app for iPhone and iPad.

Full disclosure: The app's developer is owned by Sharecare, which assists in the production of this column. Dr. Jud Brewer serves as executive medical director of behavioral health at Sharecare.