Wellness Strategies for Dealing with COVID-19 and “Shelter in Place”
Who couldn’t use some positive tips and tools to assist while “sheltering in place”? At this point, you’re possibly running out of ways to stay focused and intentional throughout the day. For many, the days are already running together.
I wanted to find a way to check in with everyone during this time of difficult transition. COVID-19 has caused tremendous changes for so many of us. That feels like an understatement.
Over the next 3 weeks, I will send out one email each week with a few more tips. I will also try to find additional resources to help you in your day to day life. Hopefully some or all of this information resonates with you or can be shared with someone you care about.
I wanted to find a way to check in with everyone during this time of difficult transition. COVID-19 has caused tremendous changes for so many of us. That feels like an understatement.
Wellness Strategies for Dealing with COVID-19 and
“Shelter in Place”
1. Keep a morning routine. Wake up at a reasonable time, brush your teeth, shower, get dressed, and eat something. You don’t have to dress in business or fancy attire (unless it helps) but changing out of what you slept in and freshening up creates a mental change and breaks the routine from the night before.
2. Schedule tasks for each day. Sometimes the days start to run together, unless you are intentional about how you spend your time.
Working from home: Make sure to factor in a lunch break and take it! Especially if you are working with children at home. This is time for a “flexible mindset”. You may need a few more breaks but try not to extend your workday by more than 1 or 2 hours. When it’s time to “leave the office”, close the laptop and turn the work phone off. It can be so easy to overwork when you work from home.
Tele-schooling: If you are home from college, an online student, or in lower grades, sticking to a set time for study and completing assignments can be helpful.
I know regular brick and mortar school doesn’t work this way but it’s best to schedule learning and study time for whatever part of the day that your mind is working at it’s best.
Don’t overload yourself with too much work all in one day. You can complete a little at a time if you spread it out throughout the week.
Laid off/ Furloughed/ Let go: It’s definitely important to keep a routine to stay motivated and looking forward. Your schedule may include looking for work, applying for unemployment, and/or waiting to be called back to work. It should also include getting fresh air and getting back to activities that are positive and uplifting. Activities that you didn’t have had time to do when you were working all the time.
3. Get fresh air. You only have to open your window, front door, and/or back door to get fresh air. If you are an allergy sufferer, early morning or late afternoon seems to be the best times to get fresh air.
4. Do something to better yourself. What have you had very little time to do? Learn a language? Nap? Wood carving? Create art? Read a book? Exercise?
You have a bit more time now to do this for yourself. Feed your Mind. Body. Spirit.
If you are with your children, you can do many of these things while they study, do a quiet activity, or take a nap themselves.
5. Connect with others. Some people thrive with a lot of social interaction, while others may need less amounts. It’s important to know yourself and your needs for social connection. You can use everything from Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, phone, texting, and letters through the mail.
You can keep in touch with parents, friends, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc.
If you don’t have many people to connect with in your life, there is a solution! The world wide web has positive ways to connect with others who, like yourself, want more connection with others but just don’t have many people they may know in their personal life. Facebook (personal or professional) and LinkedIn (professional) offer hundreds, if not more, of different groups. Join a group that is focused on topics that interest you or are important to you.
6. Limit your news intake and your children’s intake. While we want to be informed, we don’t need to meditate on this all day and night because there is only but so much that we as individuals can do and can control. Find a reputable news station and choose which news hour you will listen to.
Often times children are in the room while we watch television. Sometimes they tune it out but other times they pick up on what is being said, our reactions, and overhear our conversation about it. Be mindful of the amount of stressful content you and your children ingest.
FREE RESOURCES BELOW
Organizations offering services, tools, and techniques free of charge.
MIND
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – Virtual Support Groups Meeting During COVID-19 Outbreak https://namiga.org/virtual-support-groups-meeting-during-covid-19-outbreak/
Headspace – It includes meditations, sleep, and movement exercises to help you out, however you’re feeling. https://www.headspace.com/covid-19
Class Central – Free Ivy League Courses, https://www.classcentral.com/collection/ivy-league-moocs
Scholastic – Free, online learning hub to encourage students to keep learning while their regular school schedules are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html
HEALTH and FITNESS
Johns Hopkins Rheumatology – Reducing Stress through Deep Breathing, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wemm-i6XHr8
Johns Hopkins Rheumatology – Reduce Stress through Guided Imagery, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWI639oEzmE
Johns Hopkins Rheumatology – Reduce Stress through Progressive Muscle Relaxation, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClqPtWzozXs
Planet Fitness – Offering free workouts on Facebook Live daily at 7 p.m. ET.
https://www.planetfitness.com/health
5:17 Total Body Transformations – https://517transformed.com/517-online-training
Golds Gym – Offering free access to its app GOLD’S AMP until the end of May, https://www.goldsgym.com/anywhere
FAITH
LifeWay – Free resources for home and church at home Bible studies, https://www.lifeway.com/en/special-emphasis/coronavirus-resources
Camille McDaniel is the Founder and Director of Healing Psychotherapy Practices of Georgia, LLC. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Georgia. Since 2003 Camille has been helping children, adolescents, and adults heal from the impact of depression, self harm, suicidality, and anxiety. She believes that healing and restoration is for anyone willing to take the first step. No matter how scary that step might be, she is honored to join you in the journey.
She also taught at the university level for 7 years, in both the undergraduate psychology program and led graduate level internships in the community counseling program.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and loved ones and singing (mostly to herself).
“I know God has given me a gift to hear the pains of others and provide comfort and direction. I am passionate about helping people work through their challenges to recognize the purpose and talents God has given them.“
