Coping with covid-19

Our lives have changed.  Everyone is being impacted by COVID-19.  Our children are home from school, many are working from home, and we are all doing our best to practice physical  distancing (as opposed to social distancing).  Stores, community centres and gyms are closed.  Most of us have never experienced anything like this in our lifetime.  It is NORMAL and HEALTHY to feel anxious right now.  Anxiety is an emotion that will motivate us to do what’s necessary to stay healthy.

However, there are some things we can all do to take care of our mental health during this time. 

Limit your time watching the news.  It is important to stay informed on any new developments, however it is not necessary to watch the news (or social media) constantly.  Choose the times that you will connect to your chosen information source and stick to your schedule.

Focus on what you have control over.  The reality is that there is a lot out of our control right now and this can lead to feeling anxious.  Choose to focus on what you do have control over.  You can focus on looking after yourself physically – good nutrition, sleep, exercise – all of this will help you to stay healthy. Remind yourself you are safe in your home, and with your family.  You can choose to do things that we don’t typically have time for: bake cookies, play board games, declutter your closet, or call old friends.

Practice gratitude.  Research on practicing gratitude shows that it impacts our mood and actually changes the structure of our brain.  It is easy to get caught up in the fears and negativity all around us.  Take time to acknowledge what you have to be grateful for. 

Establish routines.  Our external structures for routine (work and school) are no longer there for us.  We are creatures of habit, so think about creating a daily routine – wake up and go to bed at the same time and maintain mealtimes.

Help others.  Find ways to help others.  Helping others gives us a sense of purpose and a sense of control.  It also makes us feel good about ourselves.  This may be as simple as calling others, we are all feeling isolated right now so connecting with others can make a big impact. 

Many psychotherapists are now offering counselling services at a distance.  Don’t hesitate to connect with a professional, if you are feeling overwhelmed.