Making Wellness a Priority During a Quarantine
It feels like the whole world is quarantined, but you’re not. You are living your typical work day, except now as you get your coffee and go through your morning routine, you’re also faced with a new weight—staying well when it seems that this virus, COVID-19, The corona, is out there waiting for you. And as you put your shoes on, tell your kids bye, you take one more quick look at social media and see that yet one more person is confirmed. To all those out there who are still working, I want to take some time to talk about how you can take extra care of yourself, so that you and your family stay well.
You’ve already heard it 1,000 times recently—wash your hands and don’t touch your face! Definitely keep those in your head…not just during this, forever. It’s just good hygiene. I would like to offer a few other suggestions to help keep your mental health well!
Keep your same routine if you are going to work. If your typical grocery day is Saturday or Sunday, be sure to keep that routine. If you attend a religious service weekly, make time to find a livecast, webcast, or recorded option. Most churches I know out there right now are really utilizing that resource!
Stay stocked, but there’s no need to overstock on things. Keep your usual grocery budget—if you have kids at home, think about your typical grocery budget during the summer, and also set limits for your kids eating during the day. If you rely on the school for assistance with lunches, reach out to your school, get on the list and keep your family well. There is zero shame or stigma in making sure you and your family have the access to what you need.
Sleep. Make sure you and your family are getting enough sleep. Studies show that good sleep helps learning. So whether your kids need to be able to learn, or you need to be able to adjust to new circumstances in the public and at work, learning is very important. Getting enough sleep allows your brain to process the information that it took in that day, allowing you more space to take in new information and process anxiety that you faced during your day. Sleep also helps our bodies to stay physically healthy. And at a time like this we all need to help our bodies stay physically healthy.
Limit unknown factors. Anxiety is a natural response to a perceived threat or danger. We are all living in a state of additional stress currently. In order to reduce dangers that we can. Practicing social distancing—even in your work setting, making sure to wash your hands will bring a bump into what steps you can do to limit your exposure to the perceived threat.
Exercise. Whether that is going for a walk after work with your kids, doing a workout video, or Youtube channel, make sure that you get moving! Exercise will decrease the stress level in your body. Exercise 30 minutes at least three times weekly reduces anxiety and depressive symptoms. This is an important time to make sure you are getting exercise.
Thank you to all the workers who are essential and still working out in the community! Again, take time for yourself to take care of yourself!
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