Written by Tracy Yellin, MSW, LCSW
With the constant changes of COVID-19 (coronavirus), its seems we are always having to shift and adjust our day-to-day routines to ensure safety and health. Here are some tips you can use to feel a little more stability in today’s volatile circumstances:
1. Continue getting up and going to bed at the same time.
2. Get showered, groomed, and get dressed for the day as if you were going to work or running daily errands. If you have children, encourage them to do the same!
3. Complete a small list of tasks you want to accomplish during your day whether they be household tasks or work-related tasks. Make them small and manageable so you’re more likely to complete them.
4. Take a break during your day to check in with friends and family through texting, phone calls, or video chats.
5. Get outside and take a walk on a nice day as the fresh air, sunshine, and getting moving will be good. Avoid close contact with people while strolling or standing outside around your home area. Close contact is defined by the CDC as being within about 6 feet of someone. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/transmission.html)
6. Continue eating meals at the same time you normally do each day. Stay out of the kitchen to avoid mindless eating or snacking out of boredom when you’re not hungry or have just recently had a meal.
7. If continuing to work from home, create a space that is separate from other parts of your home so that you can create a physical boundary. When you’re done with your workday, you can transition back into your home space.
8. Unwind with a good book, puzzle, coloring book, or television show that requires minimal sustained mental effort.
9. Minimize intake of daily news. Commit to watching the news for a limited time during the day to get what you need to know and stick to doing other tasks that do not require continuous intake of news.
10. Go to the grocery store if you need to. Pick times that may not be as busy, continue standing 6 feet away from others, and if this is not an ideal option, consider delivery options and plan for items you know you need specifically when ordering.