The current COVID-19 crisis has left many hopeless, anxious and uncertain of what the future holds. And with the government promoting safe social distancing and self isolation, many are becoming restless and weary of the days ahead.  

Even if you’re totally healthy, being alone for long periods of time can cause damage to your physical and mental health and if you’re already prone to anxiety, depression or loneliness, you’re even more susceptible to the effects of social distancing. To help cope with the effects social distancing here are a few things you can do daily to keep your mind off of COVID-19 and your body physically and mentally healthy. 

1. Exercise 

In the great words of Elle Woods “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.” Exercising releases a feel-good chemical called endorphins, these endorphins aid in the growing and connecting process of your brain. These new connections and improvement of the brain makes you feel better.  

1. Set a Schedule 

Set a schedule: keeping a daily rhythm helps manage the small and big tasks of your everyday life. Even if that means small things such as eating around the same time everyday, dedicating a section of your day to getting outside/working out, and setting a time to reach out to friends and family you aren’t social distancing with. This will create a sense of organization in your life which will prevent you from sitting aimlessly all day. 

1. Reach out to Friends/Family

The term social distancing can sound pretty grim, and give off the wrong impression because in these times being social via technology is more important than ever. Social distancing can get a little lonely, so here are some things you can do to connect with the ones you care about. Try calling instead of texting, create a family zoom call, hand write a letter to a friend, have a virtual dinner date with someone close to you, reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. 

1. Limit Your Social Media Intake 

While connecting, via technology, with friends and family is something we all need to do while social distancing, too much technology is not a good thing. Comparison is a killer, and social media is the weapon. It’s so easy nowadays to get wrapped up in the “only ifs’ ‘ and “if i was’ ‘ and during this time, many people are choosing to social distance in many ways, whether that be with a loved one, family or friends and it’s so easy to compare your situation with those you see on social media. But something to remember while you’re scrolling endlessly through Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok is that everyone is in the same situation and having to deal with the same circumstances. No one is better or worse off as we are, cooped up in our own homes.  

1. Stay Healthy

I know it’s easy to crack open a soda, rip open a bag of chips, or eat the easter chocolate that’s sitting in the house right now but limiting those, although tempting, but unhealthy snacks is important to keep your mind and body in a healthy state. Drink plenty of water, and eat things that will keep your brain stimulated and engaged in your daily activities and not tired and lacking. 

Sleep is also important for keeping your mental health bar at a full. Binging The Office and Tiger King may be appealing at the time but sleep is needed to keep your brain engaged with daily tasks. But too much sleep can hinder your health as well. A good 8 hours of sleep is needed for your brain to carry out daily doings at a healthy and happy rate. 

Reinforce cleanliness: Don’t wait days to shower, wash your face or brush your teeth.

Things to Remember  

1. Things will get better, and eventually everything will function as normal once again.
2. You are tough, you have overcome and persevere through so much and nothing is stopping you from doing it again
3. Remind yourself that anxiety is normal in this situation, it’s an unprecedented situation at our hands and everyone is unsure and anxious, but allowing yourself to over work those thoughts and anxieties is not good. So take a deep breath, wash your hands and remind yourself that everyone is experiencing the same emotions and feeling the same way. 
4. People are good, and many will continue to help others that are in need.  
5. Focus on today and what you can do to help others and yourself. During this time we are tending to focus on what’s coming in the next three days, three weeks, and three months. But this focusing ahead is causing a lot of unnecessary panic and worry, so focus on today and how you can make it a good day.