Feeling depressed, anxious, or just generally going nuts in self isolation? This may help!

In all honesty for the first three days of this thing I barely got out of bed. How was I supposed to function when the world was falling apart? But after I was able to develop a schedule, things started looking up for me! Here’s some of the most helpful tips:

1. Wake up around your normal time

I know, groan, but this will help more than you think it will! And it doesn’t have to be super early either, just sometime before 9 a.m. would greatly help your physical and mental health.

2. Exercise

When you’re stuck in the confines of a 2,000 square foot space for the foreseeable future, there’s only so much you can do in the way of keeping active, but it will really help you be able to face each day with energy.

3. Keep up with your hygiene

This can be one of the tricky things that can fall to the wayside with the absence of contact with other people. But just because you won’t get to see your friends today doesn’t mean you shouldn’t brush your hair. Make sure you’re still washing your faces and flossing, lovely people.

4. Eat at regular times

Some people have no problem with this, but there’s quite a few people that don’t eat breakfast, and sometimes forget to eat entirely. If you’re one of them, carve out time in your daily schedule to eat. At least put in lunch and dinner on your planner and keep the times consistent.

5. Actually do the remote learning assignments

They’re optional, I know. I fully understand. But let me ask you this: What are you doing in your day that feels meaningful? You may not realize you need it, but completing the remote learning assignments can leave you with a sense of accomplishment you didn’t know you needed.

6. Space out your assignments throughout the day

If you’re going to do the assignments, don’t cram them in at the end of the day like you would homework. That defeats the whole purpose of them being good for you. They can’t help your mental health if they’re stressing you out.

7. Find a hobby that you love

Always wanted to get better at drawing? Learn to play guitar? There’s no better time! Filling your day with something new and exciting is an excellent way not to get caught up in the drudge.

8. Limit screen time

You now have endless hours to refresh Instagra. And how do you feel after that? Not great, huh? Getting lost in the addictiveness of the web will leave you feeling physically and mentally groggy, so set it aside for an hour a day.

9. Carve out daily time to connect with those you care about

No matter the relationship you have with your family there’s bound to be some tension with all the insanity happening in the world. Take some time to really bond with them, and reach out to your friends. Text, call, or even zoom, check in with each other. It’ll make them feel less far away.

10. Read your news from the right sources

There’s a lot of speculation and paranoia surrounding COVID-19, and it’s important to stay informed and up to date to keep yourself and others safe. But make sure you’re getting reliable, well delivered information. Clicking on articles with headline like “We’re all gonna die!” will do nothing but sweep you up in the panic. Keep a level head, and stay safe out there.

This is a really challenging time. None of us have ever had to live through something like this. There’s no protocol telling us how to get through this, but I have every faith that we will. It’s overwhelming, but all you have to do is face today. Tomorrow can come tomorrow. As long as we all follow the shelter in place measures and be kind to each other, we can get through it.