Many of us have wisely decided to stay at home and avoid crowds and the risk of either catching the virus or unintentionally infecting other people. You may find yourself feeling isolated, depressed, bored, worried, ruminating, and hopeless. You are not alone. We are going through a national traumatic experience where many people believe their lives are imminently threatened, that the economy will collapse and never recover, and that life will never be the same.
The key thing to keep in mind is that we actually don’t know what will happen, but we do know that an enormous national and world effort is underway to try to contain the spread and lessen the effects. We are finally at the stage of having a vaccine and we are patiently waiting for our turn at getting the “jab”. Meanwhile, we are all in an international emergency together. And we have been asked to reduce our interactions, distance ourselves, and–in some cases—stay at home.
We know that isolation and passivity are the perfect storm for getting depressed and losing hope. It is possible that you wake up in the morning, worried, anxious and depressed and think that there is nothing to do and that you are completely isolated. How can you cope with what feels like a never-ending lockdown? Here are a few tips to help you keep your chin up and keep busy.
Reach out to friends and family. Just because you are “shut in” doesn’t mean you are “shut off." Make a list of friends—even people you haven’t had contact with in the past several years. Think about family members—list them as well. Then begin to email or text some of them that you would like to touch base with and check in. Maybe even call someone! We tend to forget that our smartphones are also telephones that we can speak on! So, think about taking that step and call some people. Video platforms are also very useful. Use Skype, Zoom or FaceTime, all of which are free services to actually see each other. Keep track of your experience and how it feels after. Try to reach out to someone every day.
Schedule daily activities. Just because you are at home doesn’t mean there is nothing to do. The night before the next day, make a list of things that you can do during the next day. The great thing about a list for the next day is that you wake up and you know that there are things that you will do. This will give you an hourly purpose, a sense of being effective, and will help distract you from your worries. Each activity should have a purpose. At the end of the day look at your TO DO list and check off what you did and what it feels like to have done it. If there are items you missed, put them on the list for tomorrow. Make a list for the next week, month, and two months. The more you do, the more you keep busy, the better you will feel.
Get some exercise. You can stream YOUTUBE videos that can serve as your personal trainer to nag you to get some exercise in your home. You don’t need a fancy gym to exercise. You can do Yoga, sit-ups, run in place, and other exercises right at home. Getting your pulse rate up, pushing yourself a little more will get those endorphins going. DO IT. Trust me, you’ll feel better.
Make a list of readings and videos. I read a lot—but I am always feeling that I don’t have time for all the reading I want to do. So now is the time for that. It’s wonderful that you can access a lot of free books through your public library--- you can download e-books and audiobooks for free. Go to your public library website and see how you can access these items. Now is a time to get absorbed in a good read—something that is not related to pandemics.
Make an exciting purchase. Something that will keep you excited and look forward to receiving. Some companies are making boxes and packs that are aimed at keeping people busy and healthy while the pandemic runs rampant. At the Shop by Only In My Dreams Events we have plenty of packs to chose from if cooking, drinking, games, hygiene, and puzzles are your thing we have just the pack for you! And we also have surprise options available as well! Take a look here https://www.onlyinmydreamsevents.com/the-shop-online
