The New COVID-19 (#22)
8 Minute Read
There are posts going up left and right about COVID-19, the anxieties of social distancing, and the disarray of medical infrastructure in the United States. As job security and income is threatened, the stress of maintaining routine normalcy can seem utterly overwhelming. Rather than add to the list of anxiety-management tools from some awesome therapists (see here, here, and here), we thought this might be a good time to pause from the daily grind and explore what you could do when your world has shrunk to the four walls of home. Hang in there and stay healthy fam! *elbow bump*
C is for connection
Who are the cheerleaders in your life? Who makes up your support system? Now that the national and international community is in different states of quarantine, maybe it’s time to hit up some old friends for a catch-up session. Grab that virtual coffee that you’ve been meaning to have for the past three fiscal years. If talking is awkward, you could always create intentional silence by meditating with your homies (six feet away from each other). In moments of uncertainty, being able to lean on and support each other is crucial. #moraleboost
O is for organization
TIME. TO. MARIE. KONDO. YOUR. LIFE. Messy room? CLEAN IT UP. Messy desk drawers? PUT THINGS IN THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACES. If you are stuck at home and cannot bear to watch another episode on Netflix, put on some music and vacuum behind all the furniture that you just did not have the time to move out of the way before. If you are working from home, take some time to organize those files on your computer and streamline your systems of operation. You are your own expert, and the internet is a great consultant.
V is for variety
It can be super frustrating when previous options for enjoyment and coping are all shut down. Restaurants become take-out, grocery stores turn into the hunger games, gyms are foiling your new year’s resolution, and even Disneyland is on a temporary hiatus. Although your physical location might be limited, there are ways to break up those 24 hours in a day. Block out different chunks of time to practice a new skill, spend some more time in the kitchen, try that 30-minute exercise video on YouTube, and bust out the board / card games. If you have the ability, offer to pick up groceries or drop off meals for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems (just make sure you take the proper precautions yourself). If you have been sleep-deprived, reset that circadian rhythm through healthy eating, activity, and rest.
I is for introspection
With the extra margins in your mental capacity, maybe take some time to reflect on where you are at in your life. This is tough work. You could find a friend/partner/booty call/colleague to discuss the 36 questions to fall in love. You can cut out this values card sort and identify your top 5 values after narrowing it down from not important, to important, to very important. If you are a person that has a lot of anxious thoughts, write down your top 10 anxieties. Be specific and flesh them out, such as “I feel anxious about my current salary. I don’t know if I can afford to pay for my future child’s education.” After you have listed your anxieties, separate them into present moment, short-term, and long-term categories. Explore the options to address the ones in the present moment. “Me-time” is not just face masks, bubble baths, and adult coloring books, it is also taking inventory about where you are presently and cheering yourself on towards the next destination.
D is for dialectical behavior therapy
There are several principles we can utilize from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to address the myriad of emotions, stressors, and experiences that are coming up. In confronting our own limitations of what we can and cannot control, radical acceptance can be a turning point to becoming more empowered despite the circumstances. TIPP skills are practical actions to address the physical symptoms of anxiety and thought spiraling. Practice the DEAR technique from last week when conflict occurs due to realizing just how different you and the people that you live with are. This too will pass, and self-care is vital to getting you through in the meantime.
19 is for WASH YO HANDS FOR 19+ SECONDS DAWG.