We don’t know what the post-Covid world will look like, but
one thing we need no matter what is resilience. When we get knocked
down, we come back up again. And ALL of us have experienced being knocked down
somehow, whether it is a big disappointment of not being able to go on a trip
(that’s us, we were going to go to Ireland), have a graduation ceremony, a wedding, or
whether it be the little frustrations that build from being around the same
people day after day.
I don’t know about you, but I’m really ready for this
lockdown to be over! But, because people are still holed up in their houses,
some more than others, I thought I’d publish today a list of tips by my boss,
on how to maintain emotional health during this time. So, below are 10 tips on
staying sane, and hanging onto hope that this will be over someday!
The tips come from nearly 40 years of mental health
experience working with clients, and are very sound. Dr. Hal Baumchen, PsyD,
LP, LADC has some good things to say here, and I hope you all benefit from
them. Remember, the goal is to build resilience, not be perfect. We CAN pick
ourselves up and keep going. Even if we get knocked down (did anyone say fail?)
again and again, we can get up again and again.
When my granddaughter was learning to cross country ski, she
fell 146 times (she counted) and picked herself up EVERY TIME! This is a picture
of our lives, and we can choose to do the same.
Maintaining Emotional Health During Difficult
Circumstances by Hal Baumchen, PsyD, LP, LADC
We are living in
trying times. Everyone has been affected, some a little, and some terribly.
Very few can say that life is the same. How can we get through? What can be
done? The strategies you’ve used to maintain your sobriety and mental health
must be fortified in times of stress, not relaxed.
Here are ten
suggestions to help you navigate the present and prepare for the future.
1)
Maintain a Routine If your work or
school schedule has been interrupted or altered, there is a tendency to
disregard your normal life patterns and structure. This only causes more
emotional chaos and disorder. Letting your routine collapse increases feelings
of hopelessness, helplessness, and despair. Instead, stick to a schedule and
maintain an organized, productive daily routine. Set an alarm, get dressed, and
maintain good hygiene. Continue a healthy eating plan and get enough sleep.
Limit staying up late playing video games, watching movies, or extravagant
online spending. Also watch for a tendency to justify self-indulgent activities
and schedule compromises because “it doesn’t matter.” Maintain your routine,
then when the crisis ends, you’ll be ready to return instead of looking for the
car keys and your work shoes like so many others.
2)
Exercise Your Work Muscles When you
don’t work out physically, your body gets lazy and flabby. When you don’t work
or go to school, your effort declines, your stamina deteriorates, and your
enthusiasm is diminished. It seems to me that unless exercised, your desire and
ability to work quickly erode. To preserve your current work ethic and level of
performance, you must stay engaged and active. Your wit, mental speed, interest
level, motivation, and energy levels all quickly wither if not maintained. To
do this, make plans and design projects that are engaging and interesting. Set
priorities, challenges, and deadlines for yourself. Stay accountable to others.
Work with others (electronically) if you can and commit to certain tasks in
advance when possible. This will boost self-esteem and create a sense of
purpose and accomplishment.
3)
Exercise Your Body Physical
activity and exercise kick-start your body’s natural antidepressant ability and
acts like anti-anxiety medication. Mix up your activities to reduce boredom.
Try walking, biking, running, doing calisthenics, bowling, volleyball, yoga,
ping pong, swimming, Frisbee golf, basketball, canoeing or lifting weights.
Although more difficult with social distancing, some of these can be done as
solo activities. Exercise tones and maintains the vitality of your body, and is
also useful to increase self-esteem, distract yourself, and increase
confidence. Spending 20-30 minutes exercising each day serves as an important
part of your anxiety management and recovery program.
4)
Abstain from Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco
It is often a natural reaction to try to dull the pain of depression or calm
the anxiety in times of distress. However, drinking alcohol or using drugs will
only make the problem worse. Alcohol and drugs may make you feel better for a very
short time, but self-medicating in this way often leads to serious overuse.
Alcohol use impairs judgment and can easily lead to compromises in protective
safety measures during this current pandemic. Chronic use of alcohol makes many
people feel more depressed and withdrawal from alcohol adds to anxiety.
Additionally, alcohol interferes with most psychotropic medications and may
decrease their effectiveness and increase the risk and severity of side
effects. If you don’t drink, don’t start. If you do drink, don’t use difficult
circumstances to justify drinking more. Limit alcohol and abstain from drug use
and get help when you need it. Also, studies indicate nicotine users have more
than twice the likelihood of developing depression as those who do not smoke.
For some, smoking is another form of self-medicating that creates more problems
than it solves.
5)
Maintain a Positive Attitude Being
optimistic and thinking positively can greatly reduce your anxiety level. Doubt
and worry about the future will make you more anxious. Instead, learn to repeat
positive statements to yourself such as: “I can get through this” or “I am
making progress” or “this difficulty is manageable.” Review what went right,
not what might go wrong in the future. Reviewing negative scenarios and having
pessimistic thoughts can raise anxiety to extreme levels. Positive self-talk
can be a way to calm yourself and reduce your overall stress level. Like many
things suggested previously, this is a skill to develop and needs to be done every
day. Work to recognize negative thoughts, reject them, replace with something
positive, and repeat positive thoughts regularly. This simple practice will
create an optimistic attitude and positive outlook.
6)
Rest, Relax, and Distract Stress
is a natural response to change and challenges. The stress response floods your
body with adrenaline and cortisol in preparation for “fight or flight,”
breathing and heart rate increase, and you get a surge of energy. Stress
management techniques bring your system back into balance: deepening your
breathing, reducing stress hormones, slowing your heart rate, lowering your
blood pressure, and relaxing your muscles. Use meditation, deep breathing, and
progressive muscle relaxation to develop a relaxation response. Getting away
from the present situation for just a little bit will help you calm down and
put things in perspective. Find ways to take enjoyment breaks, pausing to
notice your surroundings, being mindful of the wonder of the environment and
the beauty of the people around you. Take a break from the daily grind. Find
fun-filled and light-hearted distractions. Intersperse periods of rest within
your day.
7)
Recommit to Your Purpose It’s
vital not to lose sight of your purpose and life goals even in a crisis. Although
you may be in survival mode now, as a new normal develops, you will have an
opportunity to once again concentrate on important tasks and dreams. Remain
intentional with your time, personal energy, and financial resources. Resist
the urge to be random, scattered, and haphazard. Clarify your goals and pursue
them wholeheartedly. Self-esteem goes up when you consistently live in harmony
with your values, and it goes down when values and lifestyles conflict. Stick
to your purpose in life and continue to develop your positive character traits.
Take this opportunity to grow spiritually, develop as a person, and cultivate
meaningful relationships.
8)
Stay Socially Connected Currently
many countries around the world are on moderate to strict lockdown. Citizens
are asked to stay at home, limit travel, visit in very small groups, and
maintain 2 meters of distance between people. Large entertainment venues have
closed. Many people are working from home when they can, and many others have
lost their jobs. All of these things have greatly increased stress and have
caused a degree of social disconnection. Perhaps you miss talking to co-workers
at the water cooler, commuting with others, gathering in a restaurant with
friends, attending family gatherings, going to church, or attending a support
group. Work to keep social distancing from becoming social isolation. Use
technology resources whenever you can to stay in contact with friends and
family. Resist the urge to not visit because you couldn’t visit in person. Make
it your goal to check on others who may be struggling. Common stressful
situations are often instant conversation starters and shared experiences can
quickly become the foundation of a new and lasting friendship.
9)
Maintain Resilience Stay positive
and hopeful. You can bounce back from hard times and difficult circumstances.
Resilience tends to be weakened by poor physical health and emotional stress.
Our immune system and emotional maintenance system are both impaired by
exhaustion, worry, poor eating and sleeping habits, harmful addictions, and a
lack of regular exercise. By improving your emotional and physical health, your
resilience will grow. The graphic to the right reveals some of the numerous
components of resilience. Be flexible, laugh at yourself and this present
situation when you can, and believe that you can weather this storm. Get around
positive people who can support and encourage you without criticism or
judgment. Using these components helps you build a strong emotional defense
system.
10) Manage
Your Emotional Health by Working with Your Physician Having physical
problems and health conditions can be stressful, cause anxiety, and can make
anxiety worse. While some medications are helpful, others can add to anxiety.
Antidepressants and other medications can be useful to reduce anxiety symptoms,
and while anti-anxiety medications do work at first, they can pose long-term
addiction risks. Review your health concerns, in detail, with your physician
and follow their advice. Remember, if a doctor put you on a medication, let the
doctor determine if and when you should change or discontinue it. If you have
other illnesses or health concerns, don’t let fear keep you from obtaining
necessary medical care.
Staying Positive and Strong Because stress is
inevitable, managing it becomes our only option. Both mental health and
substance use disorders increase stress levels. Managing stress also means
managing your mental health symptoms and substance use disorder. Look for
positive ways to cope with the difficulties of everyday life. Resist the urge
to eliminate all stress or avoid everything that causes you to be anxious.
Instead, become more resilient, face your fears, overcome life’s difficulties,
and do whatever you can to strengthen your health and recovery.
You can do it! Become more resilient, no matter how hard
life gets. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” we used to say. Become
strong, tough, and resilient. You’ll be glad.
