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From a psychologist: MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS TIPS FOR QUARANTINE [a thread]
1. Stick to a routine.
Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time, write a schedule that is varied and includes time for work as well as self-care.
1. Stick to a routine.
Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time, write a schedule that is varied and includes time for work as well as self-care.
2. Dress for the social life you want, not the social life you have. Get showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, wash your face, brush your teeth. Take the time to do a bath or a facial. Put on some bright colors. It is amazing how our dress can impact our mood.
3. Get out once every day.
If you are concerned of contact, try first thing in the morning, or later in the evening. If you are high risk or living with those who are high risk, open the windows and blast the fan. It is amazing how much fresh air can do for spirits.
If you are concerned of contact, try first thing in the morning, or later in the evening. If you are high risk or living with those who are high risk, open the windows and blast the fan. It is amazing how much fresh air can do for spirits.
4. Find some time to move each day.
If you donât feel comfortable exercising outside, there are many YouTube videos that offer free movement classes.
5. Reach out to others daily.
FaceTime, Skype, phone calls, textingâconnect with other people to seek and provide support.
If you donât feel comfortable exercising outside, there are many YouTube videos that offer free movement classes.
5. Reach out to others daily.
FaceTime, Skype, phone calls, textingâconnect with other people to seek and provide support.
6. Stay hydrated and eat well.
This one may seem obvious, but stress and eating often donât mix well, and we find ourselves over-indulging, forgetting to eat, and avoiding food. Drink plenty of water, and eat some good and nutritious foods.
This one may seem obvious, but stress and eating often donât mix well, and we find ourselves over-indulging, forgetting to eat, and avoiding food. Drink plenty of water, and eat some good and nutritious foods.
7. Develop a self-care toolkit.
This can look different for everyone.
A lot of successful self-care strategies involve a sensory component (seven senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell, vestibular (movement) and proprioceptive (comforting pressure).
This can look different for everyone.
A lot of successful self-care strategies involve a sensory component (seven senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell, vestibular (movement) and proprioceptive (comforting pressure).
An idea for each: a soft blanket or stuffed animal, a hot chocolate, photos of vacations, comforting music, lavender or eucalyptus oil, a small swing or rocking chair, a weighted blanket.
Mint gum, Listerine strips, ginger ale, frozen Starburst, ice packs, and cold are also good for anxiety regulation.
For children, it is great to help them create a self-regulation comfort box (often a shoe-box they can decorate) that they can use on the ready if overwhelmed.
For children, it is great to help them create a self-regulation comfort box (often a shoe-box they can decorate) that they can use on the ready if overwhelmed.
8. Spend extra time playing with children.
Children will rarely communicate how they are feeling, but will often make a bid for attention and communication through play.
Understand that play is cathartic and helpful for childrenâit is how they process their world.
Children will rarely communicate how they are feeling, but will often make a bid for attention and communication through play.
Understand that play is cathartic and helpful for childrenâit is how they process their world.
9. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and a wide berth.
A lot of cooped up time can bring out the worst in everyone.
Donât show up to every argument or hold grudges.
Everyone is doing their best to find their way through this.
A lot of cooped up time can bring out the worst in everyone.
Donât show up to every argument or hold grudges.
Everyone is doing their best to find their way through this.
10. Lower expectations and practice radical self-acceptance.
We are doing too many things in this moment, under fear and stress. This does not make a formula for excellence.
Instead, we are all truly doing the best we can in an impossible situation.
We are doing too many things in this moment, under fear and stress. This does not make a formula for excellence.
Instead, we are all truly doing the best we can in an impossible situation.
11. Limit social media and COVID conversation, especially around children.
Find trusted sources that you can check in with consistently, limit it to a few times a day, and set a time limit for yourself on how much you consume (30 minutes, 2-3 times daily, tops).
Find trusted sources that you can check in with consistently, limit it to a few times a day, and set a time limit for yourself on how much you consume (30 minutes, 2-3 times daily, tops).
12. Notice the good in the world.
There is a lot of scary, negative, information to take in; but there are also tonnes of stories of people sacrificing, donating, and supporting one another in miraculous ways.
Counterbalance the bad with the positive.
There is a lot of scary, negative, information to take in; but there are also tonnes of stories of people sacrificing, donating, and supporting one another in miraculous ways.
Counterbalance the bad with the positive.
13. Help others.
Find ways to give back to others.
Support restaurants, offer to grocery shop, check in with elderly neighbors, write psychological wellness tips for othersâhelping others gives us a sense of agency when things seem out of control.
Find ways to give back to others.
Support restaurants, offer to grocery shop, check in with elderly neighbors, write psychological wellness tips for othersâhelping others gives us a sense of agency when things seem out of control.
14. Find something you can control, and control the heck out of it.
Organise your bookshelf, purge your closet, put together that furniture.
It helps to anchor and ground us when the bigger things are chaotic.
Organise your bookshelf, purge your closet, put together that furniture.
It helps to anchor and ground us when the bigger things are chaotic.
15. Dive into a new project.
Learn some words in a new language, put together a huge jigsaw puzzle, start a 15 hour game of Risk, paint a picture.
Find something that will keep you busy, distracted, and engaged to take breaks from what is going on in the outside world.
Learn some words in a new language, put together a huge jigsaw puzzle, start a 15 hour game of Risk, paint a picture.
Find something that will keep you busy, distracted, and engaged to take breaks from what is going on in the outside world.
16. Engage in repetitive movements.
Research has shown that repetitive movement (knitting, coloring, painting, sculpting etc) especially left-right movement (running, drumming, hopping) can be effective at self-soothing and maintaining self-regulation in moments of distress.
Research has shown that repetitive movement (knitting, coloring, painting, sculpting etc) especially left-right movement (running, drumming, hopping) can be effective at self-soothing and maintaining self-regulation in moments of distress.
17. Find lightness and humor in each day.
There is a lot to be worried about, and with good reason. Counterbalance this heaviness with something funny each day: cat videos on YouTube, a stand-up show on Netflix, a movieâwe all need a little comedic relief in our day.
There is a lot to be worried about, and with good reason. Counterbalance this heaviness with something funny each day: cat videos on YouTube, a stand-up show on Netflix, a movieâwe all need a little comedic relief in our day.
18. Reach out for help.
Keep up your meds and your therapy sessions the best you can.
If you are having difficulty coping, seek out help for the first time.
There are mental health people on the ready to help you through this crisis.
Keep up your meds and your therapy sessions the best you can.
If you are having difficulty coping, seek out help for the first time.
There are mental health people on the ready to help you through this crisis.
19. âChunkâ your quarantine, take it moment by moment.
We have no map for this. We donât know what this will look like in 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month from now.
Focus on whatever bite-sized chunk feels manageable - whether that be 5 mins, a day or a week at a time.
We have no map for this. We donât know what this will look like in 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month from now.
Focus on whatever bite-sized chunk feels manageable - whether that be 5 mins, a day or a week at a time.
20. Remind yourself daily that this is temporary.
Please take time to remind yourself that although this is very scary and difficult, and will go on for an undetermined amount of time, it will pass.
We will return to feeing free, safe, busy, and connected in the days ahead.
Please take time to remind yourself that although this is very scary and difficult, and will go on for an undetermined amount of time, it will pass.
We will return to feeing free, safe, busy, and connected in the days ahead.
21. Find the lesson.
What can each of us learn here, in big and small ways, from this crisis? What needs to change in ourselves, our homes, our communities, our nation, and our world?
What can each of us learn here, in big and small ways, from this crisis? What needs to change in ourselves, our homes, our communities, our nation, and our world?
[These are in no way supposed to be a You Must Do All Of These list, nor is it exhaustive.
Just take what works for you and leave the rest.
Also Iâm not sure of the author but if anyone knows please tell me so I can credit!
]
Just take what works for you and leave the rest.
Also Iâm not sure of the author but if anyone knows please tell me so I can credit!
]
