Taking Care of Yourself During COVID 19 Safer at Home

We’re all in this…well, not actually together, but we are all experiencing the same disruption of our usual schedules, isolated at home, additional responsibilities of not just our job, but possibly also home schooling, keeping up with the current government restrictions, one way aisles at the grocery and the list goes on and on.

How do we get through this when there is so much uncertainty? Well, there is a lot of uncertainty. We have never been here before. But let us focus on what is certain and how can we make the most of our situation? What is certain is that we may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can adjust our mindset.

Mental and emotional resilience can help us weather this storm and come out on the other side better than we were before. Resilient people, who demonstrate the capacity to recover from a misfortune, have several characteristics that can help us endure adversity:

1. Optimism – having a positive outlook, not a delusional, rose-colored glasses view, but knowing and understanding the negative without remaining focused on it.
2. Being confident in your abilities – believing that we can persevere and will take the next right step along the way.
3. Maintain physical fitness – having a regular habit of physical exercise that keeps your body and your mind strong
4. Keep your brain strong – being a lifelong learner and in this situation, it means learning to adapt to your new situation and seeking opportunities to become more mentally fit.
5. Be flexible – use several ways to deal with stressful situations by being flexible in the way you approach challenges and react to emotional stress. An often-overlooked coping strategy is humor.
6. Give and receive social support – connection with others provides a critical lifeline that calms your minds and reduces stress
7. Have meaning in your life – during difficult times, feel the purpose behind your goals that can help push you forward towards your mission. It is not a job; it is a calling.

Use these characteristics as we develop new routines, practice self-care, socialize as possible practicing social distancing and spend time with family in ways that have not been possible during “normal” times.

You may find that you want to adjust your life after “safer at home” to include some of these new perspectives and activities you adopted to weather the storm.

Stay safe and healthy.

-Sandra Cleveland-