Ways to improve mental health during a crisis.

• Routine: it’s tempting to get comfortable at home in your pajamas, not showering, and being lax about work deadlines. Many of us are not used to working from home, especially during a crisis. Keep a schedule; set times to wake up, take breaks, eat healthy meals, talk to family and friends. Don’t just sink in your couch all day watching favorite shows or sink into your chair sucked into the computer.
• Limit social media: It is also tempting to check every social media post and platform but we have to be cautious because of the amount of negativity it can place into our brains. If we continue seeing and thinking negative, we will begin to feel the effects by ways of anxiety, depression, and our own negative self talk. Try to balance what you are looking at on social media and set time allowances for spending time on social media.
• Keep in touch with family and friends: We, as humans, thrive on connection and interaction. Even if you consider yourself more of an introvert, you still crave human interaction at some points in your week or month. Human interaction actually increases oxytocin which is known as the “cuddle hormone,” because it increases when we bond socially.
• Accept your emotions: It’s okay to feel vulnerable and overwhelmed at this time of crisis. Share your emotion with others, let yourself cry or experience anger and just roll with it.
• Watch for increased bad habits: It is easy to increase drinking, smoking, and eating; just to name a few, when we are stuck at home and stressed. Try to increase times of exercise, cooking healthy meals, forgoing that extra cigarette. Schedule allowed times for bad habits: I will have two glasses of wine with dinner; I will only take a smoke break at 2pm during my work hours; I will cook a healthy meal that includes broccoli tomorrow night; I will drink 5 cups of water today.   You get the picture!