Stay Connected, Mentally Healthy During the Coronavirus Pandemic – Entertainment & Life – Waxahachie Daily Light

Sumaiya Malik works from home and takes her social distance during the coronavirus pandemic. The writer takes a break every day around lunch time and connects with a friend via FaceTime or Whatsapp.

Even though she’s not alone at home – her son is at home at the University of Texas and her daughter is preparing for law school – she says she and her friends are used to being very social.

These midday conversations don’t have to be very long, and she tells her friends that it’s good to be like that. Sometimes young children act in the background. Sometimes the hair is not combed. They register with each other.

Other times, she connects with her family. “It makes life fun,” she says. She will note things like “Oh, you have coriander growing in your garden” or “Oh, look at what your kids are doing,” she says. “It brought us so close.”

It also preserves his mental health. After all, she says, how many books can you read, how many movies can you watch, how many games can you play?

“It affects people,” she says. “Man is a social animal; What to do? It makes life easier. “

We all spend a lot of time at home and practice social distancing, but this distancing could easily turn into isolation.

We may also be concerned about the transmission of the virus itself or from family members, as well as the personal economic impact and beyond the closure of businesses.

“It’s okay to worry about something like this and even to get scared,” says Dr. Octavio Martinez, executive director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. “But we must not allow him to overwhelm us, and I think that’s where it leaves people feeling helpless or out of control.”

Psychologist Allison Chase, regional clinical director of the Eating Recovery Center and the Insight Behavioral Health Center, says that people’s history of depression or anxiety will play a role in their response to separation from others.

The adults she serves show anxiety about the uncertainty of what is going to happen, particularly regarding their livelihoods. Adolescents are more worried about the interruption of their lives, she says.

For some people, this pandemic could be particularly difficult mentally. Michael Telch, an expert on panic and phobias at the University of Texas and founder of the Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders at UT, says that people who have preexisting contamination problems or obsessive compulsive disorder who include an exaggerated fear of germs and contamination, are much more likely to react dramatically.

They could take unnecessary protective measures, he said.

“If you wear a condom when you don’t know the story of a sexual partner, it’s not useless. If you wear solid winter clothes in Chicago, it’s not useless. But if you spending 19 hours a day in the shower is an unnecessary protective action, “he says.” And when you are told to take protective measures, it is a trigger. “

Martinez says one of the things that can be helpful is to keep a daily routine, even if you can no longer go to work or school or eat dinner.

“Maintaining our routine activities also has a calming effect for us, subconsciously and unconsciously,” says Martinez.

Because we are social beings, we have to stay connected.

“Interpersonal connection is so essential for us as humans,” says Chase. “We all want and need it, especially at a time when anxiety and uncertainty are increasing. It can be comforting to have this type of connection. “

This can mean videoconferencing, texting, calling, playing video games together virtually, watching the same movie while texting or calling, or reading and discussing the same book.

“Don’t leave your connections just because they can change the connection type,” says Martinez. “We can still maintain, I think, as much as possible, good quality connections, even if they will feel a little different at first.”

It could also mean chatting with neighbors from a safe distance (at least 6 feet is recommended). For people like the elderly who have already been isolated, picking up the phone and calling could help you and you.

It helps to share our feelings about isolation. “It doesn’t hurt to just talk on the phone and just talk to your colleagues and just get away and talk about what it is,” says Martinez.

Right now, we all have to take care of ourselves as well.

It could mean meditation or deep breathing, perhaps using an app like Headspace or Calm, or doing the breathing your Apple Watch told you to do. It could mean daily prayer.

Start a gratitude journal, even something as simple as writing three good things every day.

Consider doing yoga or some other form of exercise online, especially now that the gyms have closed.

Identify what brings you joy and do these things. It could be reading a book alone or watching a TV show with a family member.

Go outside by walking around your block or by hiking on a local hiking trail. Find a way to be in nature. This vitamin D can be so helpful.

Remember to eat healthy food, although it can be difficult to find everything in the store.

Also stay hydrated.

Avoid constantly checking the news or constantly checking social media if social media will increase your level of anxiety.

Social media can be comforting for some as we see others posting funny videos, photos of how they handle social distancing or positive expressions.

“Just make sure you connect with the positive influence for yourself,” says Debbie Roberson, owner of the Thriveworks North Austin, Bastrop, Pflugerville, Cedar Park and South Austin sites.

Pay attention to who you are connecting to. You may have to separate yourself from someone who is too emotional about this situation not to feed it with your own anxiety.

While many people react to the fact that our normal activity has stopped stridently, Roberson says it might be time to do things that you don’t usually take the time to do, like gardening, cleaning closets or starting a new hobby.

It’s also an opportunity to play board games, do puzzles, read a book, enjoy coloring books for adults and create crafts.

“Be playful,” said Roberson. “We don’t take the time to play.”

Think about something you’ve always wanted to do and prepare to do it after social isolation is over. It could be planning a trip or trying something new. “Something to give you hope,” says Roberson.

Be aware that there may be unexpected emotional dips during this time. “If you need it, take a moment to mourn the loss of your old independence and freedom,” says Roberson. “Do it, then move on.”

Be aware of your anxiety or depression levels and those of family members. Pay attention to the level of impairment, says Chase. How are basic daily functions like eating, sleeping, showering and dressing?

“A lot of people are at home, so pajamas are going to be what we do, but we all have a limit,” says Chase. Not brushing your teeth for days or showering could be a warning sign.

Since I couldn’t reach out to talk or text anyone, not having fun playing with a dog or taking a walk the way you used to or having emotional outbursts of anger or sadness over and over.

And, of course, self-harm or ideas around suicide are warning signs. This is where you need to ask for help.

Many consulting offices, such as Thriveworks, are currently organizing more and more sessions by videoconference or by telephone. You don’t have to worry about the risk of infection to get help.