Taking Care of Your Mental Health During Social Isolation

Social isolation is a common and valid concern as we head into an indefinite length of time with limited access to our normal routine and in-person interaction with other people. Some may take social distancing in stride, but for most, it’s causing a high degree of anxiety and anticipated loneliness. To help you relieve some of this apprehension, here are some ways to prepare and manage in order to reduce the negative emotional impact of social isolation for yourself and for others.

1. Mentally prepare. How you think about staying at home during social isolation is vital. The terms we use to describe the situation sets the emotional tone for how we feel about it. If we think in terms of what we’re being forced to do and what we won’t have access to, it creates a sense of lack and powerlessness. Anxiety and panic can start to creep in, not to mention boredom and apathy. Combine that with a lot of uncertainty and an endlessly dire newsfeed, and you have a recipe for mental health disaster. However, if we can stay focused on the things that we still can do and what we still do have, while creating a basic structure for our days that resembles our old routine, we can mitigate feelings of anxiety and depression and get through this successfully.

Here are a few tips to get you started:
Accentuate the positives
Focus on what you are able to do during this time. You’re finally home — organize, read, rest, cook, and play. Take advantage of the time this provides
Don’t overload on news
Identify where you get your news and check in once or twice a day. Staying constantly connected to the unfolding news won’t be helpful — remember that it doesn’t change anything — and make sure your news sources are reliable. We recommend the CDC and WHO
It won’t last forever. Remember, this contagion will end. New stories, open-ended developments, and the unknown are anxiety provoking for sure, but be mindful that this outbreak won’t last forever

2. Organize yourself and your tribe. Get prepared. Taking action is a great tool for anxiety, and is essential if you’re working from home with family and children around. This time is fraught with unknowns and tension, but identifying actionable tasks can help empower you tremendously. It gives intention and focus to an open ended situation and sets you up to deal with the tumult of the outbreak.

Here are a few ways that you can take action and gain a sense of agency:
Set a schedule
Keeping a daily rhythm helps manage the day productively. Even small items such as eating around the same time as usual, and dedicating time to play, work, and rest, can work wonders
Be social, virtually
Create a virtual schedule with friends and colleagues. Real time office banter, coffee and dinner dates aren’t advised, but virtual ones can work just as well. Don’t leave yourself out of the loop — be intentional with your connections now. Scheduling a virtual meet-up at least once a day can make all the difference as you negotiate the long hours alone
Kids home from school? Gather up the activities! Identify games and activities that they can choose from ahead of time and let them know how each day will work. Too much downtime is tough for children as well

3. Talk about your experience with social isolation with others. Don’t shy away from sharing. This is something we’re all experiencing and we can benefit from the camaraderie in that. Think about the ways you stay connected now. We’ve gotten so used to being “on” all the time that we’ve taken it for granted. Reaching out to friends and family from afar is essential. Now is the time to bump up live video and FaceTime calls so we can be as present with our loved ones as possible while still staying safe. 

4. Connect internally. Dig into your self care go-to’s: meditate, read, relax, cook, or whatever else helps you relax. If you’re looking for professional care during this time of anxiety and stress, many therapists are able to offer video sessions at this time, or you could try an online therapy service like TalkSpace or Better Help. 

Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay at home! 

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services