Submitted by Twin Transit
The stay home, stay safe order is an important aspect of Washington State’s defense against the COVID-19 virus. But prolonged isolation can be difficult to weather. Here are a few tips and tricks from the team at Cascade Community Healthcare to help you make it through:
- Focus on what you can do in the moment
This may be a project, coloring, watching something funny online, and so on.
- Don’t look too far forward or too far back
Stay focused on one day at a time.
- Spend time outside
- Follow a normal daily routine, just like you would if you weren’t staying home
- Reach out to a friend
- Volunteer for a good cause
You’ll find many opportunities to help at VolunteerLewis.org.
- Exercise
It can be as simple as going for a walk.
- Take the news in small doses
It’s important to stay up to date but constantly monitoring the news can be overwhelming and disheartening. Checking the news once per day – or even every few days – is enough to keep you in the loop without being negatively impacted.
- Get your news from reliable sources
There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and false, misleading or biased stories cause unnecessary stress. Make sure your news sources are unbiased and reputable. Check out this link for some good assessment tools.
And click here for tips on how to spot fake news.
Process your experiences and emotions on a daily basis, using this helpful guideline
- Ask yourself, “What am I feeling?”
If depressed/sad, ask:
- Why am I feeling what I’m feeling?
- Acknowledge that feeling depressed or sad is okay.
- It is only a feeling and it doesn’t have to define my mood for the rest of the day.
- Ask, “What can I do to feel better?” Then take action steps to do it.
If happy:
- What are the things I’m valuing in my life?
- How can I show appreciation for, or absorb, those feelings to remind myself of the positives when I might be feeling down?
If anxious:
- Focus on today and let go of the past and the future.
- Don’t get trapped by electronics
Find fun and engaging things to do that don’t involve a screen. If you need that mental distraction, try listening to podcasts or audiobooks while you do other things.
- Take regular breaks throughout the day
- Focus on the positive
Think about the positive things that have come about because of the current situation, like:
- More time with family
- Getting yard work done
- Time to reevaluate life
- Space to organize and plan
- Reading the books you’ve always wanted to
- Time to create something
- Finally getting those home improvements done
- Reach out to others
- Stay in touch with friends and family. If you just need to talk, call the Cascade Community Healthcare Emotional Support Line at 1-800-803-8833.
This is a difficult time with especially unique challenges. By developing healthy skills, you can survive, thrive and emerge stronger than ever. You might even find unexpected joy in the silver linings of this unusual situation.
