Social distancing doesn’t mean that self-care regiments have to fall by the wayside. It may be easy to abandon the practices you put in place to help you reground and recharge, but during high stress and anxiety times like these, those practices are important to your physical and mental health.
This may be the ideal time to evaluate self-care routines and make needed adjustments to enhance effectiveness and incorporate more innovation. From a digital detox and crafting to praying and baths, there are activities that can still be done effectively while social distancing.
John Hopkins University offers these tips to help maintain self care practices while social distancing.
- Accept a lack of control. You can’t control what happens, but you can control how you react. Prioritize what’s important and let go of things that are not.
- Use free resources. Apps that provide guided breathing and/or meditations, fitness, and mindfulness apps are great resources to keep your mind and body focused.
- Stay rested. Quality sleep supports your immune system and assists in managing stress.
- Keep connections and maintain routines. Use technology to stay connected to colleagues, family, and friends. From videoconferencing to calls and text messages, use technology to hash out feelings and fears, and check-in on those we care about.
- Indulge a little. Catch up on your favorite television show, play video games, eat a treat after dinner, but don’t go overboard.
Anxiety and stress are natural reactions. Feelings of fear, anger, grief, and helplessness are all normal reactions, but don’t let your mind engage in a loop of negative thoughts. Interrupt them with exercise, social media breaks, or other activities that distract your mind from everything happening around you.
If you have access to an employee assistance program, like NexGen EAP, contact them for guidance during this and other difficult times. EAPs are a great resource that businesses can provide for their employees to give that added boost of support when and where they need it most.
Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-mentality/202003/self-care-and-social-distancing
https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/03/26/self-care-coronavirus-tips/
To learn more about NexGen EAP and how it can improve your organization, contact us today!
