The Effect of Social Distancing and Tips to Manage Our Mental Health
By now we are all together in social distancing and hear numerous news reports about the increasing number of people getting tested positive for coronavirus. It is not unusual that these numbers increases our anxiety about this pandemic. It also does not help when you personally know friends, family, classmates, peers, or co-workers getting infected. While there are changes everyday, we also struggle to adjust to the different daily routines. For example, working from home, taking online classes, exercising in our living room (if we even feel motivated), not having the leisure of dining out, needing to cook more, stress eating, and tolerating the absence of face-to-face contact with people we usually meet up with.
It’s important we recognize that despite feeling like we lost the freedom we once have, this may also be a time to explore and identify things we usually take for granted. Have you asked yourself if you’ve ever been too busy to spend time with your loved ones? Or how about putting things off just to go out with your friends and then return home stressing about needing to finish that assignment that is due in two days? How about eating healthier rather than ordering takeouts or grabbing fast food on your way home? What are some hobbies or interests you wanted to engage in, but never had the time to start? Now that people are staying home unless they have to work on site, the limited outdoor activities also limit spending which may help you take a closer look at your personal budget. So all in all, we may be developing some life skills that can help us prioritize our needs and values in life.
For those who face the challenge of constant worry and rumination about the future, please remind yourself that you are living in the moment and cannot control the future. It’s ok to be anxious and it’s definitely fine to acknowledge your emotions, but creating space to process these feelings, understanding where they come from, and then accepting it as it is can bring some normalcy to how you respond to this unfamiliar situation. Identify some maladaptive behavior you have been engaging in - increased drinking, substance use, or relapse to name a few. Remember you are not alone. Reach out to others around you whether it’d be family, friends, peers, colleagues, or professionals such as therapists or counselors who are now conducting phone and video sessions.
Now let’s take a moment to look at the diagram from Stephen Buehler, LMFT, below. Where do you see yourself in the picture? Regardless of where you stand today, this may change in the weeks to come and you are in full control of choosing which zones you want to be in.
For more information on different ways to cope with stress related to social distancing and COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve included a link below for you to check out. There are a lot of ideas and resources that you may find helpful, particularly from the article “Coping with Coronavirus - Tips from Local Therapists” on page 5 which I got to contribute some of my suggestions along with other local therapists in the bay area.
