Although the coronavirus is subsiding and has become less virulent, anxiety and depression caused by the pandemic seem to stay along as life is yet to get back to normal in the way we expect. Restrictions, though less, are still in place and keep pricking us about the lost freedom of movement. That we cannot roam around in a carefree manner is a cause of mental stress as we feel disappointed at not being able to take complete control of our lives. According to Peter DeCaprio despite feeling more comfortable dealing with the health issues, we are still not happy because we are still struggling to accept the new lifestyle and follow the healthcare advisories that remind us about the threat of the coronavirus. Although the world is trying to restore the old order, latent unhappiness affects our wellness and wellbeing.
The need for physical isolation has magnified social isolation many more times because inter-personal mixing is still at a virtual level. While social isolation works well to tame the coronavirus, it affects our mental health adversely.
The following measures can help to cope with anxiety and stress better.
Take control of the day
The initial shock of social restrictions had left everyone clueless about dealing with the new order and increased anxiety. Suddenly, we had too much time at our disposal but did not know what to do with it. Suddenly life seemed to be drifting like a rudderless boat. The only way to turn things in your favor is to set a new order and create a new timetable of your daily activities that cover the entire week. The structure will give you and your family, including the children, a sense of security, and the activities should include most of the things you did before the pandemic. Create the plan for the family by involving everyone, including the children, and display it prominently for all household members, advises Peter DeCaprio.
Take care of your body
Since only a healthy body has a healthy mind, take good care of your physical health by exercising daily, which boosts mental health. Exercising will make you more confident about taking control of your life as you feel the urge to expand your activities to derive enough enjoyment from whatever you do. Pursue your hobbies, play with your kids, do some housekeeping or gardening, and you will never feel the pressure of excess time. Eat healthy food and have a good sleep that helps to boosts immunity.
Make your availability known to your children
By sharing your daily routine with the family and children, you indicate when you are available for them. Create a separate routine of activities for your children, too and at the same time, keep some time exclusively for yourself, even if it is as brief as half an hour.
The routine helps create boundaries of time enables setting the right expectations about each other so that everyone makes the best use of the time. The more you stay involved in activities less will be the mental stress.