Joshua Klapow, a disaster mental health specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said a few simple steps can help you keep your head in the time of swine flu:

• Get a reality check. "Remind yourself to gain perspective," Klapow said. "The headlines of death, the headlines of serious, serious illness are only the headlines and they are not balanced by the fact that the vast majority are not dying and are not getting severely ill." Visit the CDC Web site, as well as that of your local health department for more complete information. "This will give you a much more accurate picture of swine flu as it affects you," Klapow said
• Act sensibly to cut your risk. That's as simple as washing your hands frequently, keeping your hands out of your nose, ears and mouth, and staying away from people who are sick. "This is incredibly powerful preventive medicine," Klapow said. "The best way to be safe is with this sort of basic public health practice."
• Remember that fear is unhealthy. "All that anxiety does is weaken your immune system, which puts you at greater risk for catching this virus or any other virus," Klapow said. "Getting a grip is critical -- not just so you feel better emotionally but it will increase the chance that you ward this off."