Mental Health Wellness Tips for Quarantine - Part 1
1. Stick to a routine.
Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time, write a schedule that is varied and includes time for work as well as self-care.
2. Dress for the social life you want, not the social life you have.
Get showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, wash your face, brush your teeth. Take the time to do a bath or a facial. Put on some bright colors. It is amazing how our dress can impact our mood.
3. Get out at least once a day, for at least thirty minutes.
If you are concerned about contact, try first thing in the morning, or later in the evening, and try less traveled streets and avenues. If you are high risk or living with those who are high risk, open the windows and blast the fan. It is amazing how much fresh air can do for spirits.
4. Find some time to move each day, again daily for at least thirty minutes.
If you don’t feel comfortable going outside, many YouTube videos offer free movement classes, and if all else fails, turn on the music and have a dance party!
5. Reach out to others, you guessed it, at least once daily for thirty minutes.
Try to do FaceTime, Skype, phone calls, texting—connect with other people to seek and provide support. Don’t forget to do this for your children as well. Set up virtual playdates with friends daily via FaceTime, Facebook Messenger Kids, Zoom, etc.—your kids miss their friends, too!
6. Stay hydrated and eat well.
This one may seem obvious, but stress and eating often don’t mix well, and we find ourselves over-indulging, forgetting to eat, and avoiding food. Drink plenty of water, eat some good and nutritious meals, and challenge yourself to learn how to cook something new!
7. Develop a self-care toolkit.
This can look different for everyone. A lot of successful self-care strategies involve a sensory component (seven senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell, vestibular (movement), and proprioceptive (comforting pressure). An idea for each: a soft blanket or stuffed animal, a hot chocolate, photos of vacations, soothing music, lavender or eucalyptus oil, a small swing or rocking chair, a weighted blanket. A journal, an inspirational book, or a mandala coloring book is lovely, bubbles to blow or to blow watercolor on paper through a straw are visually appealing as well as work on the controlled breath. Mint gum, Listerine strips, ginger ale, frozen Starburst, ice packs, and cold are also useful for anxiety regulation. For children, it is excellent to help them create a self-regulation comfort box (often a shoe-box or bin they can decorate) that they can use on the ready for first-aid when overwhelmed.
-Victoria Ackerman Dr. Eileen Feliciano, a doctoral-level Psychologist in NYS with a Psy.D. in the specialties of School and Clinical Psychology.
Date stamp is: March 23, 2020
From the bottom of my heart
Elke
Photo: Pexels-door-green-closed-lock-4291
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Text: Victoria Ackerman Dr. Eileen Feliciano, a doctoral level
Psychologist in NYS with a Psy.D. in the specialties of
School and Clinical Psychology.