How to Keep it Together During the Pandemic
Weāre living through a scary and unpredictable global event right now, and you may be having a hard time coping. Thereās a lot of advice flying around the internet right now about how to manage your mental health during this crisis - unfortunately, a lot of that advice assumes that you are an upper-middle-class person quarantined in comfortable conditions, and that your biggest issue right now is boredom or low productivity.Ā
But what are you supposed to do if your issues with this pandemic run a little deeper than that? What if you were barely hanging on by a thread before this pandemic struck, and now you feel like youāre in free-fall? What if you are an essential worker being run ragged at an understaffed job? What if your biggest issue right now is notĀ āhow do I make this pandemic a productive time for me, creatively and spirituallyā butĀ āhow do I convince myself to keep living until this is overā? I wonāt pretend to have all the answers - I donāt think anyone does - but I do have a few tips to help you get through this thing without coming completely unraveled:
Focus on your physical needs right now. From now until this pandemic ends, you are effectively a Sim. Your main job right now is to make sure that all your little mood bars are full - just like Sims, people under severe stress canāt even begin to cope with it until all of their very basic needs are met. Now is not the time to worry about things like productivity and personal fulfillment - your focus right now is on whether you need a snack, shower, or to change into some more comfortable pants.Ā
Stock up on easy-to-prepare foods that are high in protein. Not everyone has the time or motivation to be cooking artisan sourdough bread in quarantine. If you arenāt able to cook healthy meals for yourself, just focus on getting at least three solid sources of protein every day - protein makes you feel fuller and more alert, and is a better choice than low-protein snacks like potato chips if youāre struggling to eat every day. Look for things that require little or no effort to make - granola bars, roasted nuts, peanut butter, cheese, canned beans in sauce, eggs, canned tuna and beef jerky are solid choices.
Do a fifteen-minuteĀ ādeclutterā every day. Cleaning may seem like a pretty daunting task right now, and you may not have the time or energy to do it. But living in filthy surroundings takes an enormous toll on your mental health, and it can be overwhelming if you let things get too bad. Take just fifteen minutes per day to deal with the obvious stuff - bag up the garbage, take all the dirty dishes out of your bedroom, wipe up obvious spills, throw out rotting food and put the dirty laundry in a hamper. It doesnāt have to be perfect, it just has to be livable.Ā
Make sure you are accessing whatever relief programs are available to you. Several countries and states have set up financial relief programs, loan payment deferrals, and other programs to help people get through this tough time. If you are struggling to pay your bills, call your providers and ask if your payment can be deferred or reduced. If you did not previously qualify for local programs, check back regularly - eligibility is changing all the time.Ā
Find effective distractions. Find things that take your mind off of your anxieties, even for a short time. These donāt have to be educational or have any self-improvement value whatsoever. If watchingĀ old Jerry Springer re-runs at jet-engine volume is what gets your mind off your worries for an hour, then thatās what youāre going to watch. Whether itās video games, reality TV shows or hours upon hours of YouTubeĀ āhaulā videos, the only thing that matters is that it distracts you.
Limit your exposure to the news. Watching people speculate wildly for hours about how bad the pandemic will be and how many people will die is not healthy. The basic information about this pandemic has not changed - itās bad, itās contagious, you need to wash your hands and stay inside as much as possible. Check the news only for genuinely important public health updates, and then turn it off. Obsessing does not change whatās happening, and it does not improve your mental health.Ā
Let friends and family know that you may be in and out. Maintaining relationships requires a lot of energy that you may not have right now, and responding to everyoneās messages quickly might just not be possible right now. Let your family and friends know that you care about them, but that youāre going through a lot right now and you might be spotty about answering their messages. Try to have at least some social contact every day with the people who are most important to you, but donāt pressure yourself to keep up with everyone right now.Ā
Block or mute people who share unhelpfulĀ āmotivationalā content on your timeline. You donāt need to be reminded four times per day that Shakespeare wrote King Lear in quarantine. Shakespeare didnāt have to work a minimum-wage job at the grocery store while people screamed at him because the place had run out of flour. We all have self-righteous people on our social media feeds right now who are lecturing others about the need toĀ āmaximizeā their time and relentlessly pursue self-improvement during quarantine. You donāt need that right now. MuteĀ āem.Ā
If you need to pretend the pandemic isnāt happening for a few hours, go for it. Contrary to popular belief, dissociation is not always a bad thing - itās one of the most basic emotional defense mechanisms we have. If dealing with the reality of the pandemic is too much for you right now, then put your mind somewhere else. Pretend you are the hero of a dystopian novel, or an early settler who has to figure out how to feed her family with limited food supplies. You can mentally deal with the enormity of the pandemic after itās over - for now, find whatever narrative helps you get through this while still following public health guidelines.Ā
Access domestic violence resources if you need them. If you are quarantined in a violent situation situation and you feel your safety is in danger, please remember that domestic violence shelters are still open and they are still taking new clients. If you have a family member or friend that you can stay with, thatās also a good option - the health risks of breaking quarantine to move in with a friend are not as serious as the health risks of remaining in an abusive and violent household.Ā
If you need a prescription refill, make arrangements well before you run out of medication. Doctorsā visits for non-essential appointments are seriously limited right now. If you know that you are almost out of prescription refills, call your doctorās office well ahead of time to let them know, and see if they can renew your prescription without an appointment, or if they can conduct an appointment over Zoom or via phone call. Medical professionals are extremely busy right now, so itās important to make arrangements well in advance to make sure you donāt run out of your medication.Ā
Let someone know if you need to be checked on. If you know you arenāt doing well but you donāt necessarily have the energy to talk about it, just let someone close to you know that you would like them to check on you - this could be a weekly check-in to see how youāre doing, a daily reminder that you need to eat dinner, or having them remind you to go to bed if they see you online past a certain time. Figure out what you need, and communicate your needs to someone you can trust.Ā
Find one thing to look forward to every day. Find one tiny thing about tomorrow thatās not going to suck, and hang onto it. It doesnāt have to be a big thing. Maybe youāre going to have a can of your favourite soda, or watch an episode of your favourite show. Maybe youāre going to call a friend or read another chapter of a book youāre enjoying. Find something that you can latch onto as a reason to get up tomorrow, no matter how small.Ā
Let yourself rest. If you find that you need a lot more sleep than you normally do, thatās totally fine, and you shouldnāt feel bad or guilty about it. Living in a constant state of high stress is exhausting, and you may find that you need a lot of rest. If you donāt have the energy to do much more than sit in front of the TV and do a few basic chores, thatās fine - you donāt actually need to be spending your spare time reading War and Peace or learning to play the mandolin. If you need rest, let your mind and body rest.Ā
Just get through the rest of today. If getting through the rest of the pandemic seems daunting or overwhelming, donāt focus on that. Focusing on getting through the rest of the day. And then tomorrow, get up and do the same thing all over again. Take this situation one day at a time - the key to enduring this is not figuring out how to sustain your mental health for six months all at once, but to focus on sustaining your mental health just for the rest of the day, over and over again.Ā
This pandemic is a scary thing for a lot of people, and we donāt yet know how this will play out or when it will end. But we do know that it will end someday. Do the best you can to take care of yourself, no matter what your circumstances are - we will get through this.Ā
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