With the coronavirus turning the world upside down, it’s easy to think you could be losing your mind. It can bring about a lot of hypochondriac behavior as many of us as stuck in isolation. And as the virus is still reaching a peak, it’s going to be easy for many of us to think we could be losing our minds when that’s probably not the case.
Now the Washington Post has done a new report on keeping your head together during the Coronavirus crisis, with helpful tabs on how to take care of yourself during lengthy periods of social isolation.
How to Deal
As The Washington Post writes, “The coronavirus pandemic has been a fast and deep tectonic shift for human life, and if history is any guide, people can be incredibly adaptable. But as the weeks build, the news turns grimmer, and social distancing becomes social isolation, the familiar contours of everyday life are fading.”
And we indeed have made a very abrupt change in a very short amount of time, which is hard for people to deal with. One thing that’s made it a little bit easier is the fact that we do so much online anyways, now many things have moved to working and learning remotely.
As this article explains, most people had had to deal with stress before all this craziness began, so it’s important to check in with people for how you’re dealing with stress and your new way of life. (It’s important to remember that we will return to a more normal existence some time down the road, although there will certainly be changes we’ll have to adapt to post-corona.)
As one psychiatrist explains, you can tell that people have mood changes when they have “lingering feelings of disappointment in one’s work or personal responsibilities and [feeling] overwhelmed…Asking loved ones to help brainstorm ways to enjoy activities that brought joy before can relive some of these feelings.”
Ways to connect when you have to stay safer? You can still go on walks with people taking safe distances, and keep in touch with people virtually.
This psychiatrist also recommends not being too tough on yourself if your life isn’t going as well as you’d like. “Nobody’s really flying at the top of their game at the moment,” she explains. “Maybe we’re not going to be as productive…Doing what’s important right now matters most.”
The Importance of Self Care in Times of Crisis
With so many of us adjusting to more time at home, it’s also important to remember to practice self-care, whether it’s keeping up with your hygiene (which is of course very important right now), making sure that you’re regularly eating (not over or under eating), and staying sober. If you’re not doing these things, they are “signs that a person might be in an emotional slump,” this report says.
It’s also important to pay attention to your sleeping patterns. If you’re sleeping too little or too much, if you’re having a hard time concentrating, these can all be signs of depression. Another expert says, “If you find you’re running into a big wall with one of those things, it might be time to call somebody.”
Mendi is a passionate advocate for teens and adults in the mental health and addiction arenas. Mendi envisions and creates programs bringing a unique approach to mental health and substance use treatment.
Clinically trained, Mendi earned a BA with honors in psychology and social work at the University of Maryland and an MSW at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. His extensive experience as a therapist includes individual and group psychotherapy for children, adolescents, adults and families in various settings.
Mendi has gained insight and experience from his work at several treatment centers, which include the Chesapeake Center for Youth Development, the Carroll County Youth Services Bureau, Chabad Crisis Centers and the Center for Discovery and Adolescent Changes.
Prior to launching Hope Street, Mendi conceived and built multiple successful, high end adolescent and adult residential facilities and outpatient programs that include Ignite Teen Treatment, Eden Treatment and Elemental Treatment.
Mendi has appeared on the Dr. Phil show, is regularly featured in mental health and addiction publications and speaks around the country in person, on TV and on Radio shows on these topics.
With his newest ventures, Mendi instills a unique blend of energy, creativity and expertise to the treatment of teens, adults and their families dealing with trauma, addiction and mental health issues.
The son of a Rabbi and eldest of 11 children, Mendi is a part-time rock musician, boxer, cantor and father of four.