Stay at Home: Coping
You are Probably Spending More Time at Home Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
You may have been compelled to spend more time at home by a local stay at home order or by a statewide stay at home advisory. Your workplace may have closed indefinitely or you may have lost your job. You may be social distancing by choice to stay home and stay safe or just may have fewer open destinations to visit. Even if none of this is true for you, most likely one of these things is true for a friend or family member close to you.
Even if you were used to staying at home before the pandemic, like for many others, you may find yourself having to cope with increased anxiety, depression, and stress at home. You are not alone.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in “Coping with Stress” - 1/22/21, stress may cause things such as:
feelings of worry, sadness, fear or anger
physical ailments and health problems
worsening of mental health conditions
changes in energy, appetite and interests
difficulty sleeping or nightmares
difficulty concentrating and making decisions
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Suggests 6 Steps to Help Manage Stress When Coping With COVID-19
Take Breaks From the News
Headline stress disorder may not be new, but while you stay at home more the news may cause higher levels of stress especially considering recent widespread political and COVID-19 related topics.
While it is good to be informed, it is also good to be balanced and the NIMH recommends that you take breaks from the news. Set time limits to consuming news and stick to them.
Keep in mind that your news may come from multiple sources so that may mean closely managing more than your time with traditional news sources but also your time on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
TIP: Did you know that Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have features to help you limit your time on their platforms? To learn more see Manage My Time On Facebook, Manage My Time on Twitter and Manage My Time on YouTube.
Make Time to Unwind
The NIMH also recommends that you make time to unwind. This complements the suggestion to take breaks from the news.
While not everyone unwinds in the same way, the key is to try to do an activity you enjoy. If you can’t do activities you enjoyed earlier before staying at home, perhaps you can find a new activity that you like doing.
Many enjoy reading, cleaning, watching movies, listening to music, gardening, painting or spending time with family or pets at home.
TIP: Try a few new recipes and make homemade orange coconut muffins, lemon poppy seed bread or just relax with essential oils and a warm golden milk.
Set Goals and Priorities
The benefits of setting goals and priorities are not new but with extended time at home the benefits setting and accomplishing your goals may feel especially rewarding right now.
Consider making your goals “SMART”:
Specific: define what you will accomplish and why
Measurable: define how you will determine that you achieved the goal
Achievable: verify that you believe the goal is actually attainable
Realistic: verify that you have the necessary skills/tools/resources
Time bound: set times for each step to reach the goal, not just the start
Don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments!
TIP: Did you start a new diet or set a new weight loss goal this year? If so, consider starting off with a juice cleanse or incorporating healthy smoothies or vitamins and supplements into your diet.
Take Care of Your Body
Stacy Simon, Senior Editor, News wrote for the American Cancer Society in “Tips for Staying Healthy While Stuck at Home” - 3/19/20:
“...we know that healthy habits can affect a person’s risk for cancer and other diseases including heart disease and diabetes. This is because getting enough physical activity and eating healthy foods can help our bodies work as well as possible…With a bit of creativity, you can find new ways to get plenty of physical activity and eat healthy food even while you’re staying home more.”
With the stress of spending more time staying at home due to COVID-19 it may be particularly hard to remember to take care of your body. Consider activities like deep breathing exercises, yoga, getting outdoors for fresh air (while socially distancing), exercising, getting sufficient sleep at consistent times, and eating healthy meals and hydrating regularly.
TIP: Replace junk food with healthy snack bars or treat yourself to paleo chocolate or even have healthy premade keto soups or fresh chef prepared paleo meals delivered to your door.
Connect with Others
You have probably heard this stressed repeatedly - connect with others. Depending upon your situation you may connect with those in your household while staying at home or with others via phone calls, text messages, video chats and social media communication tools.
Try saying more than just hi and bye but also:
share honest thoughts and feelings - it can help reduce stress
pay close attention to the conversation - actively listen
demonstrate that you are listening - ask meaningful questions
Share this blog post with friends, family and colleagues. Use it to start a conversation or to provide helpful suggestions to help others cope with staying at home.
TIP: Surprise a friend or family member with an electronic gift card - maybe even a healthy soup gift card or an essential oils gift card.
Focus on the Facts
There is a lot of information (and sometimes misinformation) being shared about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Make sure you trust your news source and consider getting input from more than a single source.
While others may be well intentioned, you may want to verify information you hear on social media or from family, friends and colleagues.
TIP: You can find pointers here to state COVID-19 public health websites along with pointers to COVID-19 websites for the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health.
Additional Information
If you’re in crisis, there are options available to help you cope. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at any time to speak to someone and get support. For confidential support available 24/7 for everyone in the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255.
TIP: You can find additional pointers to mental health resources here to help.