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These are difficult times, the Covid- 19 outbreak took us by surprise and at this moment life as we know it for a lot of people has changed. We have been instructed to socially isolate and stay at home as much as possible. Which is not easy to do.
Uncertainty seems to be a constant. And that brings feelings of fear, frustration, sadness, anxiety and much more.. We have to remember these are all expected emotional reactions to the situation at hand.
There is an adaptation period to make this time more manageable, patience to know it will take some time to adjust, compassion to understand you are doing your best to cope and resourcefulness to be able to handle the situation to the best of your abilities.
Here are some useful tips to help you cope and thrive during these hard times:
FOR YOUR BODY
1. Try to keep a routine, set up an alarm clock, shower, get dressed. These basics will help you feel more energized and motivated during the day.
2. Try to be active. It's important to find some way to keep your body moving. There are some great home workouts on Youtube or other channels that offer a varied source of training that will accommodate most situations even if you only have a small room. You can make this work !
3. Try to eat right. When our normal routine is disrupted it can be hard to manage our diet. Anxiety, distress, boredom among other factors, play on how we choose how to eat. But it is essential that at this time we remain strong and healthy so try to eat as much fruit and veg as you can, hydrate often. Shop wisely !
FOR YOUR MIND
1. Stay connected to others. Let's make technology our biggest ally at this time, check in with family and friends via whatsapp, or Skype calls, all great ways to remind us we are all in this together.
2. Be compassionate with yourself and your emotions. It's natural to feel fear and anxiety at this time, find appropriate ways to cope. Find someone to talk to, find an online therapist, write it down, exercise. Try to acknowledge what it is you are feeling, put a label on it and learn to manage it.
3. Focus on all the things you can control vs t he things that are out of your control.
4. Set boundaries, opt out of overwhelming conversations.
MANAGE YOUR MEDIA INTAKE
1. Be mindful about how much information you are receiving and how it is affecting you mentally and emotionally. Is important to stay informed but sometimes too much information can be harmful.
2. Try to get your information from reliable sources!
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS
1. Make self- care a priority, It's necessary to do so. Take breaks, allow yourself to feel, breath deeply, connect with yourself.
2. Be attentive to others needs and try to respond to the fears of others in an understanding and respectful way. Remember you might be able to see things from a more positive perspective and have valuable resources to help them cope. SHARE THEM !
3. Take time for yourself, it can seem overwhelming to be in the house with housemates, friends, family or partners all the time. Verbalise this need for alone time in an assertive way, its normal to feel like this, respect this for others as well.
IF HOME WITH YOUR KIDS
1. Try to take the pressure off, take advantage of this time to connect as a family. Learn together in many different ways, this could be a very enriching time to bond with your loved ones.
2. Try to maintain a routine, but be flexible, make the daily routines together with your kids, that way they will be more committed to follow it.
3. Keep the channels of communication open, this can be a scary time for kids, they need to feel supported and heard.
And remember although we must physically be socially distancing ourselves, we are all here for one another and can get through this together!
