Coping with Stress during COVID-19
Increased levels of fear, stress and anxiety are normal responses in the midst of COVID-19. The ideas below offer simple and practical tools for coping during this time of social distancing, self-isolation and quarantine. It is important to develop and maintain good self-care practices to help ease the anxiety and stress that we are all facing.
Routine: Maintain a daily routine as much as possible. This can include setting a consistent time to wake up and go to bed every day. Having meals at regular times. Maintaining good hygiene, even if you aren’t going anywhere, having a shower, washing your face, brushing your teeth and combing your hair can make you feel better.
Goals: Set daily goals to keep yourself motivated. They can be simple such as making your bed, or cooking dinner, small accomplishments still give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
Exercise: Physical activity is a really important part of managing stress. When we are stressed our body is telling us to run, exercising helps us to release that energy, increases our feel good hormones and helps us to think and problem solve more effectively. There are lots of ways to get creative with exercise even if you have to stay at home, run on the spot, jumping jacks, and push-ups. Go out into the backyard look up at the sky, open the window and breathe in some fresh air, play with children and/or pets.
Relaxation. We can teach our body how to relax more effectively by practicing relaxation and breathing techniques. Often when we are stressed we breathe very shallow into our chests. We can train ourselves to breathe more deeply and effectively. Take a moment to notice any tension in your body; unclench your jaw, adjust your posture, stretch and try to relax.
Place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest and take a deep breath in. When we are breathing into our diaphragm our belly should rise and fall with each breath. Practice this several times every day trying to get your breath into your belly.
For increased relaxation try;
Paced Breathing: Take a deep breath in to the count of 5 and then breathe out more slowly to the count of 7 (You can adjust the in and out breaths to your body just make sure the out breath is longer than the in breath). Practice this for about 2 minutes to help bring down your level of stress.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: A relaxation technique where you tense and relax different muscle groups one at a time from head to toe. You tense and hold your muscle for 5 seconds and then relax it completely and pay attention to the difference between relaxation and tension. This isn’t difficult to do but does take some getting used to. Most importantly, practice, practice, practice.
*If you aren’t used to deep breathing you may notice you feel light headed after practice. This is normal and will subside when you get used to breathing more deeply. Be sure to take your time getting up so as not to lose your balance or fall.
Learning to train your body to relax takes time. With practice your body will learn to respond differently.
Nutrition: Balanced eating is really important during times of stress. Remember to drink some water. Eating regularly helps to keep our mood more stable, helps us to think more clearly and gives us the energy we need to cope in times of increased stress. Avoid or limit alcohol use, although it can seem to help in times of stress it can make problems worse and increases our risk of physical and mental health problems.
Sleep: Good sleeping habits helps to keep our mood steady and improves our ability to cope during stressful times. Here are some tips for a more restful sleep:
Stick to a schedule – try to go to bed and get up around the same time every day (even on week-ends)
Develop a bedtime routine – make your environment relaxing. Keep the lights low, change into comfortable pajamas, lower noise levels, have a light snack
Don’t drink or eat a lot before bed – this can interfere with a restful sleep, by needing additional trips to the bathroom or causing heartburn.
Avoid caffeine and nicotine before bed which are stimulants and can keep you awake.
Keep your bedroom dark and cool to promote a more restful sleep.
If possible use your bedroom only for sleeping.
No screens an hour before bedtime, this includes phones, TV and computers.
Enjoyable Activities: Having pleasant things to do to express ourselves or distract from unpleasant thoughts and emotions is really important for coping. Ideas include:
Creativity, painting, drawing, poetry or singing
Keep a journal or make a daily list of things you are grateful for (don’t forget the little things like hearing the birds outside).
Prayer, many people find prayer to be a comforting and mindful practice
Practice mindfulness or meditation
Listen to music
Take up a new hobby
Spend some time outside (if you are able)
Visualize yourself in a beautiful relaxing place
Have a warm bath
Read a good book or watch a movie
Learn something new, watch an online tutorial or take an online course
Allow yourself to feel your emotions; cry or laugh, trying to push feelings away or avoid them often makes them worse
Find a way to contribute to others, call to check in on a neighbor or loved one who is isolated Offer to pick up groceries for someone who can’t go out
Stay connected: As much as we need to social distance right now we need support more than ever. Plan to stay connected to loved ones by utilizing technology and online platforms. Set up regular times to “meet” via skype, video chats, e-mail, phone, messaging.
Limit media exposure: At this time we are being bombarded with scary and overwhelming news which can increase our level of stress and panic. While it’s important to stay informed it’s ok to take a break from media and limit your exposure. Make sure the information you are getting is accurate and from a reliable source such as, the World Health Organization and/or Health Canada. It’s ok to set boundaries with others who want to talk about Covid-19 by limiting the amount of time you talk to them or letting them know you want to talk about something else.
Seek professional help if needed. Many therapists and programs are offering online counselling and resources at this time.
Additional information, support and free online resources:
https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-health-and-covid-19
https://cmhapeeldufferin.ca/programs-services/24-7-crisis-support-peel/ www.connexontario.ca
Written by: Pamela Freitas, MSW, RSW, RP