Stress Awareness
Stress can manifest itself in different ways. It is normal to feed, sad, stressed, confused, scared or angry during a crisis. Be sure to watch for these signs:
- Physical
- Tiredness, headaches, back pain, difficulty sleeping, indigestion, tight muscles
- Mental
- Forgetfulness, poor concentration, boredom, worry, poor teamwork
- Emotional
- Irritability, depression, anxiety, fear, apathy, increased sensitivity to criticism
- Relational
- Loneliness, withdrawal, intolerance, relationship problems
- Behavioral
- Procrastination, eating problems, risk-taking, substance abuse, poor time management
- Spiritual
- Emptiness, loss of beliefs and sense of meaning, cynicism, compassion fatigue
Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
The basics of self-care are more important now than ever. Getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods, engaging in physical exercise and making time for relaxing and enjoyable activities are fundamental to psychological resilience. They have the added benefit of boosting the immune system. Our present state of crisis is likely to continue for some time. To avoid becoming depleted, it’s essential that we continue those lifestyle habits that fuel and refresh us.
- Sensible Eating
- Reduce the amount of caffeine and stimulants you may be consuming. Schedule and take lunch and snack breaks. Eat the RAINBOW and keep a nutritious balanced diet. Keeps healthy foods on hand along with water and gum.
- Push Pause
- Take breaks and walk outside. If your concentration is off take a break and do something that calms and centers you. Being cooped up inside can intensify isolation feelings. Identify a designated stop and start time for your work-day and follow it.
- Relaxation
- Deep breathing is one of the most effective relaxation techniques. It can be performed anywhere, anytime. Breathing helps reduce the stress in the moment. Repetitive activities can also be calming, such as cleaning and organizing, playing solitaire, art expression. Take a minute to yourself, even if it is just one minute.
- Exercise
- Practice chair yoga, take a quick walk, do some jumping jacks in place.
Healthy Coping Strategies
It’s important right now to make choices that are healthy and serve your basic emotional and psychologically needs. Keep in contact with your loved ones via social media, texts, and phone calls. Create a daily self-care routine. Keep yourself busy: games, books, movies, series, etc..
- Stay virtually connected with others
- Healthy social connections are critical to maintaining resilience. Cut off from our usual means of socializing by the imperatives of social distancing, we’re at risk for feeling isolated and lonely. Use text messages, phone calls, social media and video chats to stay in regular communication with friends, family members and work colleagues. Be creative in finding ways to socialize, for example by sharing meals with others via video chat.
- Limit new consumption
- Too much exposure to the media coverage about COVID-19 can add to already elevated levels of anxiety and fear. Seeking updates throughout the day repeatedly triggers a stress response leading to high levels of nervous system arousal. It’s best to limit the times of day as well as the total amount of time spent on news.
- Use positive psychology tools to strengthen resiliency
- Coping strategies that elicit positive emotions help us withstand and bounce back from adversity. Intentionally turning towards sources of hope, optimism and meaning and resisting the pull of catastrophic, worst case scenario thinking will help balance out your worries and frustrations. Keep a gratitude journal and focus on compassion for yourself and others during this difficult time. As you struggle with the painful dictates of social distancing, remember that this is an act of generosity toward your fellow humans. Acts of altruism boost wellbeing, so as you help others, you also help yourself.
- Remind yourself
- You are brave and empathetic enough to withstand this distressing time and you make a difference to each person who you help. Affirm that you can and you will get through this.
