With any change, even the ones we plan for, we are going to have some difficulties transitioning and adjusting to the new. It’s wired deep down inside of us to be hesitant towards change (even when we know it’s good for us).
Because no human is perfect and all humans have mental health concerns, we all had some degree of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, sadness, fear, worry, phobias, etc…) present before COVID-19.
So in this situation, no wonder most people are struggling to adjust to this “new norm”. A pandemic is NOT something good and it is NOT something we prepared/planned for and it is NOT in our control. Plus the very uncertain time frame for how long it’ll be here for…surely makes a lot of room for mental health symptoms to increase and rise to the surface.
In this post we will focus on the ways each and every one of our lives has changed over the past couple of weeks due to COVID-19.
Now because there are so many different ways this has all affected us and we all have such unique situations, I am not going to be able to touch on every single shift, symptom and coping skill but I am going to do my best to focus on three of the biggest changes and the symptoms people are experiencing and some actionable skills to assist you in getting through this.
So I have broken it into three different categories: SOCIAL DISTANCING, WORK, AND SCHOOL
Common Symptoms:
EVERYONE REACTS DIFFERENTLY TO STRESSFUL SITUATIONS, so don’t compare yourself to others. If you neighbor is over there “looking” fine and doing all sorts of renos on their house. Go them, but you aren’t them. If you are over there watching Netflix, go you. You do you. We are each unique in how we digest information and how we react to it. Check in with yourself and evaluate the new and changing symptoms you are experiencing and compare them with your baseline and history. You have had things happen to you in the past that you had no control of. How did you work through and tackle those? Use that data to help reframe this situation as best as it can.
Some people may be experiencing
changes in sleep and eating habits
increased fear and worry
difficulties concentrating
increase usage of alcohol or other substances
symptoms of anxiety (rapid breathing, overthinking, sweating, trembling, pressure in chest, feelings of restlessness, etc)
depressive symptoms (fatigue, loss of interest/pleasure in activities, hopelessness, discontentment, mood swings, agitation, excessive crying, thoughts of harming or killing yourself etc.)
Please call 911 or national hotline at 1-800-273-8255 if you are having thoughts of harming or killing yourself or others
Transitions:
Social Distancing
Not being able to see friends and family, cancelled/postponed trips and events, not having the freedom to go out to our favorite restaurant, bars, shops, museums, gyms…
Skills: Take breaks, take care of your health, unwind, and connect
Take breaks. Like real breaks, not ones that consist of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. Get outside, phone a friend, go for a walk, watch a comedy show, do a favorite hobby, etc. Doesn’t have to be long but it does need to happen multiple times throughout your day. We forget that we naturally have some breaks built into our days (commuting to and from work, running errands, walking here and there, etc) so during these times when we are pretty much staying in one place, we just need to be more mindful to give ourselves the baseline of breaks, but also maybe even more due to the heightened stress.
Take care of your health.
Food: Make sure you are staying on schedule and eating as your normal do. It is suggested to have three meals a day and some snacks. Make sure you are drinking PLENTY of water. Also a great time to explore new recipes, eat clean and support local when you can!
Physical: When it’s nice out GET OUTSIDE. Soak in the sun. Go for a walk. Workout. Move your body. I know Shred415, Inner Warrior, and all sorts of other gyms are providing free and paid for virtual workouts. Take advantage!
Mind: Meditate, do mindfulness based activities, focus on your breathing, sitting still and in silence, listen to calming music, unplug from your phone, stop the mindless scroll on social media from time to time…
Unwind. Do things that you enjoy. Whatever you used to do on your time off, see if you can still do it (just from the safety of your own home). Lots of adults don’t have hobbies and I have been seeing this great post go around saying “In retrospect, I should’ve developed more hobbies beyond “going out to eat”. This is SO true for so many and what can help you in finding these hobbies is thinking back to what you used to do as a kid and see if you can pick any of those back up. Maybe it was dance, volleyball, running, drawing, singing, writing music, reading, organizing, painting, knitting…
Connect. Use technology for all its good! Lots of us have our phones tied to our hands all day every day and are very accustomed to using it for work, social media and calling/texting/facetiming someone for a short conversation.
The way we are now having to use technology to connect is a bit different so we need to reframe how we think about it. We need to remove its professional identify (for example using zoom for social things and not just work) and take the pressure off of it (for example you don’t have to call someone to ask them a question you can simply just call to call). You can have a virtual happy hour, game night, watch Netflix together with the Chrome extension, workout together, etc. And don’t forget to talk about non COVID topics too!
Work
Working from home, going into work and having new hygiene and safety rules and regulations, working more hours, getting laid off, being on lack of work
Skills: make a schedule, follow the rules. lean on your community and the government for support
Make a schedule (similar to your typical one) wake up, get dressed, and if at all possible set up your office in a designated “work” area. I know not everyone’s living situations will allow for you have a legit office and desk but what we want to avoid is your couch turning into the catch all. Where you work, where you eat, where you watch TV, where you video chat people, etc. We want to create some type of separation physically so then mentally it will be easier for you to transition from “work mode” to “home mode”.
Follow your work guidelines if you are going into work still. Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, maintain social distancing at the workspace and remind yourself that this is all new so don’t beat yourself up when you make a mistake or are slower at your job duties. The hygiene hyper-vigilance and extra precautions are not to be annoying, they are for your safety.
Lean on your community. Font line workers may be doing overtime or working well over their typical schedule in order to meet the demands of this virus. During this time rely on your community and loved ones for support. Maybe it is doing grocery delivery, takeout meals, or having a friend drop off meals for you so you don’t have to spend the time in public at the store. Maybe it means relaxing the duties around the house so when you come home you can do your essentials and do to bed. Maybe it would be helpful to make your house or room a CALM sanctuary and only allowing things in there that make you feel good. Prioritize yourself and your safety during this time and maybe let the non essential household duties and expectations be more relaxed during these times.
Take lots of deep breaths, knowing that help is there for you and that it is okay to ask for help. For discounted online therapy session from licensed mental health professionals around the nation check out https://www.coronavirusonlinetherapy.com
Rely on the government aid during this time. If you have been laid off during this time, push the stigma of receiving financial assistance from others aside and take care of yourself and your family. No one saw this coming. No one could have prepared for these happenings. You being laid off has nothing to do with you and your work ethic and has all the things to do with protecting you and others from this virus. Surround yourself with loved ones, lovely things and rely on the community and government to get you through these hardships.
School
Kids being home from school, figuring out what to do for childcare, navigating online classes, your classes being cancelled, graduations being cancelled, end of the year celebrations being cancelled…
Skills: Breathe, re organize priorities, lower expectations and reframe
Breathe. If you have kids and they are out of school or their childcare has stopped. Breathe. You don’t need to do it all. Reminder that you are just one person who had NO TRAINING for this. Be open with your employer about the situation (sure they will already be in the know). Lower your expectations and be kind to yourself and do what you can do without losing your mind! You aren’t going to be able to do it all (perfect employee, homeschool teacher, cleaner, master chef, gardener, etc.).
Re organize priorities. If you are in classes and they have been moved online. Adaption is going to be key here. Online classes aren’t everyone’s favorite I know, but the plus side is that your school is allowing you to complete your course online and not making you retake the entire semester. Reframe. Not ideal, but could be worse.
Written by Shannon Gonter
I specialize in working young adults. I am passionate about my career and want to work with you to create positive change. I also strive to create a counseling environment where men and young adults can relate, feel heard, and find new solutions to their negative patterns. Some issues that I most commonly work with are stress, relationship issues, difficulty saying “no” to others, difficulties recognizing emotions and emotionally connecting to others, anger, and intimacy issues, among others.
The information and resources contained on this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to assess, diagnose, or treat any medical and/or mental health disease or condition. The use of this website does not imply nor establish any type of therapist-client relationship. Furthermore, the information obtained from this site should not be considered a substitute for a thorough medical and/or mental health evaluation by an appropriately credentialed and licensed professional.