Today is National Stress Day! 43.8 million adults are living with a mental illness in the United States. The Covid-19 pandemic can make living with a mental illness even more challenging. It is important that everyone focuses on self care and make their mental health a priority right now. See below for some helpful tips on how you can reduce your stress levels and how to prioritize your mental health below.
Tips
Exercise outside!
- Go outside! Go for a quick walk or run! Getting some Vitamin D while wandering around your neighborhood. Its good to get out of the house and destress!
Your caregiver can still visit you!
- The lockdown rules in place should not affect this. Your caregiver can still come see you and even exercise with you.
Video calls!
- Use this time to catch up with old friend or family members you haven’t seen in a while. This can help you feel less lonely and more connected to others. You can use apps like facetime, zoom or skype!
Use this time to do things you’ve always wanted to do!
- “ I would love to do that but I don’t have time”. Well things have certainly changed & now you do have time! Go ahead and organize your closets or clean out your garage.
Phone and Virtual Appointments
- A lot of people rely on their psychiatrist or therapist for emotional support. Reach out to your doctor and see if they are offering phone or virtual appointments.
Learn new a hobby!
- Have you ever wanted to learn how to play a instrument or sport? Now is the perfect time to learn! Go online & search how to get started. You can even find a beginners youtube video.
Meditate!
- Meditation can be very helpful to reduce anxiety and stress levels. It can bring you back down to earth and make you focus on what is truly important
Routine is your friend
- It helps to manage anxiety, and will help you to adapt more quickly to this current reality. Create clear distinctions between work and non-work time, ideally in both your physical workspace and your head space. Find something to do that is not work and is not virus-related that brings you joy. Working in short bursts with clear breaks will help to maintain your clarity of thought.
Manage your expectations
- Unprecedented productivity implies we should raise the bar, rather than lower it. Do not underestimate the cognitive and emotional load that this pandemic brings, or the impact it will have on your productivity, at least in the short term. Adaptation will take time. Go easy on yourself. As we settle into this new rhythm of remote work and isolation, we need to be realistic in the goals we set, both for ourselves and others in our charge
- Guided mindfulness activities: https://medschool.ucsd.edu/som/fmph/research/mindfulness/programs/mindfulness-programs/MBSR-programs/Pages/audio.aspx
