Do you suffer from anxiety? If so, it’s especially important to care for your mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have a regimen that you typically follow to manage your levels of stress and anxiety, don’t let changes in your daily schedule and lifestyle stop you from performing them. And if you need anxiety treatment during your self-quarantine, reach out to Washburn House for help and advice. Here are some things you can try at home to help.
Adapting to Changes in Lifestyle
Many people who suffer with anxiety find it difficult to transition when changes happen in life. If this describes you, then the recent quarantine measures put in place to help stop the spread of COVID-19 may be causing you additional feelings of panic or fear. While this is entirely normal, it’s no way to live. Obsessing over television coverage of the pandemic and isolating yourself with no human contact of any kind will quickly escalate the situation. Instead of ignoring your anxious feelings and allowing your daily routine to become disrupted, practice regular self-care instead. Do not turn to substances to cope.
Avoiding Complete and Total Isolation
It is necessary to self-quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this doesn’t mean you should cut yourself off completely. Use your phone to call friends and family as often as you need to. Check up, check-in, and talk about something other than the current health care crisis. Go online and join a chat group focused around a common interest. Use services such as Skype, Facetime, or Messenger to video chat with the people you love during this time of quarantine. Engaging in active communication with the people important to you may help you avoid the need for further anxiety treatment.
Scheduling Your Days in Advance
You probably had a schedule before the pandemic happened. Try adhering to it as strictly as you can during your self-quarantine. You can’t, of course, still drive to the office at 8 am, but you can rise at the same time each morning, shower, dress, and make coffee. If you’re unable to work online, schedule your day hour-by-hour to engage in such activities as:
- Making and eating breakfast
- Catching up on world news
- Running the dishwasher, wiping down countertops, sweeping and mopping the kitchen
- Spending time outdoors. You can still ride your bike or sit on your porch and chat with your neighbor so long as you keep at least six feet between you. Time outside also helps you gain vitamin D.
- Working on a hobby. Have you meant to put in an herb garden or detail your car? Now is the time.
- Organizing a cluttered space in your home
- Talking long-distance with loved ones
As someone who regularly requires anxiety treatment, you should also build time in your day to engage in activities geared toward managing your stress. You could take a long bubble bath, read an exciting new bestseller, or do some yoga. Whatever puts your mind at ease and helps you manage feelings of anxiety are helpful activities that will get you through one day at a time.
Seeking Anxiety Treatment if You Need It
Though self-quarantine means staying home as much as possible, you may still seek anxiety treatment in a crisis. Call your mental health provider and explain your situation. They may ask you to come into the office, or your prescriber may decide to change your medications. Many centers offer telehealth services now that let you seek anxiety treatment over the phone while covering a portion of the cost.
It’s vital to remember that help is still out there if you need it. Don’t feel like you have to remain home and suffer alone if you’re in crisis. Reach out for help with anxiety treatment by calling Washburn House at 855.298.3104 today.