By Dr EK Wills
Of course we know we are not alone. But when the reality of this crisis sets in, the mental strain begins to take its toll.
It could be you have no job or have to work or learn from home. Maybe you are a frontline worker, including supermarket staff, cleaners and security guards. Everyone has had their lives changed dramatically and need to adjust to new parameters.
Maybe you worry about what will happen in the future, maybe you despair at the current situation or maybe you have become obsessed with cleanliness. Each of us deal with stress differently.
Luckily, there are a few ways to approach this, based on what you think works for you.
Below is a list of things you can do to help your mental health during this time:
1. reduce expectations
2. set up new routines
3. get daily exercise
4. expect meltdowns
5. try mindfulness
6. access online resources
7. keep in touch
1. Reduce expectations
As a society we are geared towards productivity and in recent times this has blown out to be associated with how ‘busy’ we are. It became a sign of strength to show how much you have on your schedule and are capable of juggling.
Now is the perfect time to re-assess this approach and see if concepts like ‘slow cooking’ and relaxing pastimes can help to alleviate stress. Try gardening or cooking with the kids – there are a multitude of TV chefs showing us the way if it is a new concept or you need fresh ideas.
2. Set up new routines
While many people are telling us to just survive, one way to facilitate that is to establish a routine. Routine helps to contain us when we are feeling on edge or lacking motivation. It gives us daily targets even if it is time based as a start point.
If kids need to get up, get ready and sit down to lessons/activities at the same time each day, it differentiates the weekday from the weekend. It also helps you to know what to aim for in a day as well as achieve your own work goals.
The education department has resources (https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/learning-from-home/advice-to-parents-and-carers) for how to set up for home schooling and I will post about this next time, too. Try to put it in place for the start of the next term while we are still in lockdown.
3. Get daily exercise
When the work is done, time to get some fresh air and exercise as part of the daily routine. Then kids can settle down to well earned playtime or entertainment without you feeling guilty that they are not learning.
The same goes for us: work then play.
Try an online gym if you prefer to do this as a group or part of a community. WTribe have one specifically designed for women. It can be fun when doing it in like-minded groups.
4. Expect meltdowns
This applies to you as well as spouse and/or children.
Everyone gets overwhelmed at times and this may manifest differently in different people: maybe tears or anger surface or maybe they sleep for long periods or shut themselves in their room.
Encourage space to talk about things but also allow time to process alone first so that the issue is not forced if that is what that person needs.
5. Try mindfulness
Everyone talks about this and it often generates an eye-roll or, for those that know it, the tool can be very useful. It involves exercises to develop skills in mental awareness, attention and acceptance that are helpful in addressing anxiety and depression.
Mindfulness is a technique to learn about our automatic patterns and, by becoming more aware of them, to respond in more effective ways.
6. Access online resources
There are widely available resources that are online and/or being made more available online (ie. free) due to the crisis.
If you need more than relaxation and routine to address your current situation, there are courses you can do and resources you can use.
Beyond Blue have a phone line if you need someone to speak to. They also have an online presence with lots of resources. Their mindfulness advice through their Smiling Mind app combines CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) for an in depth approach.
CRUfAD, a project between St Vincent’s hospital and UNSW, have a range of courses, currently free till end of April.
They address sleep issues, motivation, communication, anxiety and depression for a range of people from teens to adults. Some require referrals from a GP or psychologist but some can be done without.
Sometimes there are so many resources, you don’t know where to start. Try one recommended by a friend, such as here with MotherMind, and see if it works for you. If not, post your experience and maybe more recommendations will come from other comments, too.
7. Keep in touch
While we are social distancing, we still need to maintain contact with others. We are
a social species so isolation does not come naturally, and can result in us feeling disconnected and uncertain.
Phone a friend is a natural option but you can use this opportunity to call your elderly relatives or those that live alone. It may be a quick call but it could break the isolation for them. Facetime or Messenger and the multitude of other visual options help to connect us further. Naturally, Zoom offers group chats for your regular book club or scouts gathering, too.
Keep safe and, while this is still clichéd, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
#survivalmode #mentalhealth #whattodo #wearenotalone #reality #crisis #mentalstrain #nojob #workfromhome #learnfromhome #frontlineworker #supermarketstaff #cleaner #security #adjust #newlife #worry #future #despair #currentsituation #obsessed #cleanliness #stress #deal #reduce #expectations #new #routines #expect #meltdowns #try #mindfulness #access #online #resources #productivity #busy #schedule #juggle #reassess #alleviate #gardening #cooking #TVchefs #freshideas #survive #facilitate #establish #startpoint #sametime #weekday #weekend #differentiation #achieve #work #goals #homeschooling #education #department #advice #parents #students #curriculum #overwhelmed #tears #anger #sleep #encourage #space #talk #process #tool #automatic #patterns #aware #attention #accept #acceptance #respond #effective #learning #freshair #exercise #playtime #entertainment #fun #approach #likeminded #women #groups #guiltylearning #available #free #relaxation #courses #beyondblue #crufad #thiswayup #smilingmind #sleepissues #motivation #communication #anxiety #depression #referral #psychologist #GP #teens #adults #recommend #mothermind #experience #comments #keepintouch #phone #friend #elderly #relatives #single #alone #facetime #messenger #call #break #isolation #connect #bookclub #scouts #gathering #keepsafe #allinthistogether
Comments