How to ground yourself during uneasy times
What the world is going through at the moment feels inescapable and all-consuming: wherever you turn is the threat of Covid-19. Most of us are isolated at home, which can be very stressful. Here are a few tips and services that have helped me stay grounded through anxious times.
Find your new normal
There is a lot of advice floating around about how it’s wise to not change too much in your regular everyday routine to prevent interruptions. However, this advice doesn’t work for those who have children who are no longer going to school. There are also lots of us who are figuring out how to work from home with housemates. This means adjusting schedules and living spaces for ease of work.
I highly recommend taking this adjustment period to find a new normal that works for you. It’s an opportunity to start shifting around your schedule and experimenting with your usual activities. If your job allows, your working day might not necessarily fit within the 9–5, which could free you up for things you previously weren’t able to do, like spending time with your children or chatting to friends.
It’s going to feel weird for a while and it’s likely you won’t slip straight into full-blown productive mode, but once you find your new normal it might be an improvement on how things were before.
Hangout with your friends
While we are isolated, it’s important to get some face-time with our friends and family. Calls and texts are great, but it doesn’t always cut it. I feel like we are reliving our youth, by hanging out on IM and I am not hating it.
Group video calls are super easy to do, via Google Hangouts or Zoom. We can’t go round to our friends’ houses for dinner anymore, but that doesn’t stop you from doing it online. Also, it means less to clean up. Bonus!
You can also have a movie night using Netflix Party, which creates a chat next to the film and syncs it up so everyone is watching at the same time. A group of my friends have been playing around with Houseparty. You can do group calls while you play games: the Pictionary-style one has been endless fun.
Scheduling face-to-face time with your friends will give you something to look forward to and to make isolation feel less lonely. Also, think how much money you’re going to save by not going to a restaurant or the pub. Winner.
Keep a Mood Diary
I’m awful at keeping diaries, I’ve tried many times but committing to writing is something I have always struggled with. When I tried to start a journal I realised I was actually trying to capture feelings and moods, so by focusing on an activity and mood I found it much easier.
Personally, I love Daylio. It is an app to record moods without writing. You set it up by adding custom moods and activities, this makes logging super simple.
I’ve been able to analyse patterns of behaviours against certain activities. For example, my happiness peaks when I exercise, see friends and chat to my family. I can now visibly notice when my mood starts to plummet if I reduce these activities. Month by month, I’ve seen a huge improvement in my moods and stress.
Put your energy into the things you have control over
Right now it’s normal to feel powerless and out of control. Why not focus on the things we do have control of? It’s a good time to do the things you’ve been meaning to do for months. Now’s your chance to do a bit of DIY or sort that pile of paperwork that’s been staring at you.
Getting some exercise will give you a burst of happy hormones, which your body and mind will thank you for. As a quick win, I highly recommend sticking on some music and dancing around the house. For something more structured, I’ve been following a 30 day yoga playlist and inviting my friends to press-up challenges to give me motivation.
If you feel like being creative, how about trying some painting, drawing or sewing? Try your best to ignore the pressure that you need to fill this time with being productive. It’s more important to focus on the things you want to do, when you want to do them.
Block out negativity
Surround yourself in the things that feel good. If the constant news of Covid-19 isn’t providing you anything other than stress, this is a good indication that it may be time to block it out. On social media you can block words and hashtags. If it is still too much, coming offline to give yourself a break is a good idea. Swap out the endless scrolling with a good book.
If Covid-19 is the primary topic with friends and family, why not suggest other subjects. I’ve been finding things to talk about from articles in The Happy Newspaper. It’s bursting with incredible things that people are doing on all corners of the planet. Most of these won’t reach the news and aren’t celebrated like they should be. It’s a welcome distraction from the current focus.
Forgive yourself
If you don’t feel like learning a new skill, cleaning your house or working out, that is okay. If curling up on the couch is what you need, listen to your body and mind.
Social media tends to give the impression that everyone is writing their next novel, sculpting a six pack and launching a side hustle. Realistically these things don’t just happen miraculously. If you don’t want to do any of that, don’t force yourself: all you will do is add additional stress to an already stressful time.
I wanted to write this article a few weeks ago, but instead of punishing myself about it, I just waited for a time when I actually felt like writing. It felt like it was never going to happen, but it did!
Put others first
There are ways you can volunteer and provide support for your community during this challenging time. Helping others is a great way to get out of your head and get that all-important human connection.
Be My Eyes is a free app that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers for visual assistance through a live video call. Every day, sighted volunteers lend their eyes to solve tasks to help blind and low-vision people lead more independent lives.
Nextdoor is an app that helps you stay informed about what’s going on in your neighbourhood. It’s a good place to volunteer during these trying times, and to help a neighbour in need.
You could become a community reserve volunteer for The Red Cross. When you sign up you will receive a text message if help is needed in the event of a major local emergency. This may be particularly important right now as they are working with the authorities to support the Covid-19 response in the best possible way.
NHS Volunteer Responders has been set up to support the NHS during the Covid-19 outbreak. You can volunteer to help those who are most at risk from the virus by bringing them their medications, transport equipment or simply to be a friendly voice at the end of a phone.
Check in with yourself
Make a list of the positive things going on in your life. What do you feel lucky to have and what makes you grin with pride? Positive self-reflection is crucial at this time. Leave a notepad out to jot positivity down, or to read over when you aren’t feeling so great.
These are challenging times and I want to state how important it is to speak to people, whether that’s friends, family or a counsellor if you feel like you are really struggling. Please don’t stay silent. You are not alone.
There’s a great list of online mental health resources on the NHS including confidential ways to connect with therapists using online messaging.
Look after yourself, and see you on the other side, outside.
