How to handle tension, stress, boredom, and loneliness during lockdown
😚Most people most likely had or still do, deal with one of the above issues during the past 13 months. Let’s look at some of the things we can do in order to eliminate or at least decrease some of these problems.
✏️Why don’t you become creative, by drawing, painting, composing, or crafting, that is something you always wanted to do, right? but never had the time to it, no that time is here!
🍵Structure and plan your everyday
life (getting up, showering, getting dressed, having breakfast, starting to work …) or adapting to the new situation (for example because of the home office). Rituals help because they are firmly anchored, reduce stress, and provide security against loss of control. Even small rituals such as preparing a cup of tea or taking a bath reduce the stress level noticeably.
💏Plan and look forward to a little highlight for the day, for example watching a nice film in the evening, trying out a new recipe, taking a relaxing bath, or cuddling with your partner.
🏃🏽♀️Don’t ponder
too much about the crisis is poison for the soul and usually does not lead to anything. Breathing gymnastics, autogenic training, meditation, praying, or using the app and YouTube to do relaxation exercises.
📞Maintain social contacts via chat, telephone, video, or with distance and mask in the fresh air over the garden fence or on the street.
👍Do not only complain
about the negative things of the crisis or losses but also talk about positive things.
🛠Make plans for the time after the pandemic instead of remaining hopeless: a vacation, a new professional perspective, or volunteer work – or a new project in your apartment or around the house.
🏋🏾♀️Do some exercise,
go for a walk in the fresh air, work in the garden, and play sports. All of this and the green nature relieve a lot of stress, daylight also helps the psyche and stimulates vitamin D production against the winter blues.
🤨Do not suppress the crisis,
but accept the difficult situation as it is. Then it is easy for you to accept inadequacies and do something about them, rather than seeing yourself as a failure.
📺Reduce your news consumption
to 1 or 2 times a day and focus on sources that do not spread panic and false facts.
💝If you help others to cope with the crisis as far as you can, you will receive support too. At the end of the day, this makes you proud of having achieved something and lets you feel that there is something worthwhile in your life.
