These are unprecedented times, and while I will be keeping up with my regular posts and session highlights (because we all need something to smile about!), I want to be sensitive to those of us who are having a hard time with this quarantine and stay-at-home situations. It’s not easy being home, even with the ones you love the most, especially during high school or senior year. I wanted to share some things that can make this time a bit easier for you (things that I am practicing too!)
-Stay off of the news/upsetting social media: As we all know, it can feel like we need to keep up with every single update or news story. It can actually be really hard on our mental health to hear too much news, so try to limit your exposure to the “news overload” by only checking the news or television a few times a day. Unfollow negativity on your social media feeds, and fact check the articles that don’t sound right. It’s okay to use social media to stay in touch with friends or family or to pass the time, as long as it’s not detrimental to your stress level. If Facebook is making you feel stressed, try taking it off your phone and only checking it on your laptop or home computer a few times a day.
-Stay connected: There are so many ways to keep in touch with friends and family that you can’t be with at this time: FaceTime and zoom meetings are perfect for getting together without being in one another’s houses or at school. You can have a “virtual dinner” together while still maintaining social distancing. Don’t neglect your elderly family members or those who may be lonely, and check in with them often as much as you can over text or phone. Lastly, check out Marco Polo for an easy way to make little videos for your friends that don’t require you being “live” (you can make them while you’re getting ready for the morning or doing the dishes or cleaning your room).
-Give yourself grace: You may not have the motivation to organize every closet or go through all your clothes and purge them. You may not want to put makeup on every day or wear real clothes…that’s okay. Or you may feel like that gives you a sense of control and normalcy, and that’s okay too! Remember that everyone reacts differently to stressful situations, and it’s okay if it’s not how you may perceive to be “right” or “wrong”. Everyone is grieving something, some sort of loss, and grief really has no timeline.
-Get outside: As much as you can safely, get outside. Getting your blood pumping, moving your body, and getting Vitamin D when you can is a great way to stay healthy, in shape, and mentally strong. Hiking, walking (at a safe distance from others), running, and getting on a treadmill are all ways you can continue exercising and clearing your head from the stress of the unknown. If you live in a rainy area, or somewhere where it’s not good enough weather to go outside, try working out in your living room to a youtube yoga workout, or another online service. There’s tons of free resources available to anyone on youtube and Instagram.
Its okay to not know how to deal with the current times, but remember to take care of yourself, and the ones you’re with! We are all doing our very best to navigate this together!
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