There is no doubt that these are incredibly rough times for many of us. In our last blog post, we discussed ways to cope with anxiety related to the Coronavirus. In addition to anxiety about the virus itself, many are isolated at home which can cause even more feelings of angst, depression, confusion, and more.
Being stuck inside and having very little interaction with others can be incredibly overwhelming and thus transpire into things like overthinking, loneliness and withdrawal. It can be easy to fall into old ways or routines and negative habits. With that being said, many are left wondering how to cope with the situation at hand and how to avoid sinking into these feelings of despair.
While it may not be the most favorable of situations, there are things we can do to help lessen the impact on our mental health, which you can find below.
- Reach out to friends and family by phone, text, email, zoom, etc. While we may not be able to have much face-to-face interaction at the moment, staying connected with our loved ones is incredibly important now more than ever. This can help with those feelings of loneliness while being isolated.
- Create a routine and stick to it. Many are working or learning from home which could be a major adjustment. Find a routine that works for you and stick to it. This will help you to stay focused throughout the day and limit unwanted distractions.
- Practice self-care. Self-care is very important at a time like this. Take time out of each day for yourself, even if it is only for five minutes, and do something you truly enjoy.
- Write it out. Feeling down, confused or frustrated? If you are not comfortable talking with someone about it, write it out as a way to express what you are feeling and get things off your chest.
- Stay Active. Although it is not necessarily possible for all of us get outside, there are many ways to stay active at home, like developing an in-home workout routine. Besides being good for your physical health, staying active while stuck indoors is a good way to help improve your mood.
- If you need help, reach out. We all need extra support sometimes, and especially right now. It’s okay to reach out to someone! If you do not have someone that you feel you can reach out to, there are resources out there, such as the National Suicide Prevention Hotline which can be reached by calling 1-800-273-8255, or Crisis Text Line which can be reached by texting “HOME” to 741741 both available for free and open 24/7. You are not alone.
These are just a few ways that can help alleviate some of the feelings of isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic.
