I’m going to go a little off course here from my original plan as it seems this COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic is going to be sticking around for a while. I have been doing a lot of phone therapy lately, more like phone check-ins and coaching with my patients. One of the things I have noticed is that many people who typically have struggled with Anxiety are actually doing well but are now experiencing depression. Those with depression or subclinical symptoms are struggling with depression more and more.

My suspicion is that those who have struggled with Anxiety are handling this well because they have been seeing a therapist for a while or are attending one of the many Anxiety resources my clinic offers. They have gotten a lot of time and repetition of using these skills and now that a serious pandemic is hitting they are getting an opportunity to use those skills, which are helping. I also feel that for many people this situation has forced us to re-evaluate our priorities. We are looking at our values and determining where we need to redistribute our energy. We are spending more time on the things that are important to us and less time being preoccupied with other things that aren’t as important to our well-being whether by choice or due to the restrictions.

Either way, this is a great time to take a step back and do a self-inventory. What were you spending your energy on before this all happened? Were you draining your batteries on things that aren’t as important to you because you feel that they “should” be? Were you neglecting the things that are important to you that recharge your batteries? How can you shift this energy moving forward? Be honest with yourself.

Something else that has been a focus of my conversations with patients is consistency and routine. For the most part, our lives are predictable and routine. We wake up every day at the same time, do the same morning routine, leave the house at the same time and come home at the same time. So why would this change even though we don’t need to go into the office? It shouldn’t.

Our minds and bodies do best when things are predictable, this is due to our circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is the cycle our body goes through every day, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year (366 this year). It’s how we know when it is time to eat when it is time to wake up in the morning, and when it is time to go to bed. If you don’t have a consistent routine your body doesn’t know what to do with itself. It affects our sleep, our energy levels, and our eating habits. All things are very important to our overall mental health and well-being.

So how do we do this?? Here are some tips:

1) Wake up at relatively the same time every day

2) Get some exercise, even if it’s a slow short walk around your neighborhood or on the treadmill in front of the tv in your living room watching the news.

3)Take a shower even if you’re not going anywhere

4) Get dressed and ready as if you were going to work or wherever

5) Eat Breakfast, drink your coffee, make a schedule and/or to-do list for the day.

6) Stick to your normal work schedule as close as possible (breaks, tasks, meetings, appointments, lunches, clock out time, etc)

7) Continue your normal afternoon/night routine including spending time with your family and having dinner.

8) Do your normal bedtime routine.

9) Go to bed at your normal time.

This sense of routine will not only help your mental health but will also help you have more energy and consistency. It will be easier to feel productive, less stressed, and think more clearly. Overall, when we feel better and feel like we were productive we are more likely to experience positive-self talk reinforcing our positive self-image and core belief.

And lastly… TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME!

If you have more questions about ways to improve your mental health or practicing self-care during this time feel free to reach out to me at Colleen@ScatteredPotential.com, subscribe to my blog, or my newsletter by filling out the form below. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.