Things to do if you or someone you know are struggling with isolation
These simple ideas will help you boost your emotional health and retain a measure of direction when much of our lives feel out of control.
1) Keep moving. It’s important to move often and regularly throughout the day.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be a long walk or a strenuous exercise routine (although either of them would be great), just do as much as you can without hurting yourself or draining too much of your energy.
If you spend long periods sitting down, put an alarm on to remind you to move once an hour (visit the bathroom, make a cup of tea/coffee, water the plants, go into a different room to fetch a book, clean just one window). Movement generates additional serotonin in the brain and serotonin is one of our ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters. It is good to give it an extra boost every now and then during the day.
2) Cultivate positivity. At first we may become emotionally swamped by what is actually happening in the crisis but eventually we must try to move beyond the raw negative feelings and rediscover beauty, remember our own strengths, enjoy uplifting music, or savour a light-hearted moment.
3) Set goals for yourself. We become happy when good things happen to us, but we are even happier when we decide to pursue a particular goal - and then achieve it!
Choose goals that are easy at first and then gradually find goals that may be a bit more challenging for you (meditate or deep breathe for a few minutes, phone a friend, wash the dishes, plan a new meal, send an email or a card, bake a cake, pray for those less fortunate than ourselves). Make goal setting part of every day.
4) Spend time outside. Research suggests that the brightness and intensity of sunlight during the day can deliver a boost to melatonin levels at night. Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in your body and helps control your sleep patterns. This is not about exercise or raising your heart rate but more about unwinding and immersing yourself in nature.
‘Bathing’ in nature has documented benefits so try to go outside for a short while every day, preferably avoiding the middle of the day. You could sit outside your front door or in the garden if you have one, or meander into our national forest. You don’t necessarily need to be in full sunlight and please remember to apply sunscreen first.
Benefits include:
Reduces stress, boosts your immune system, accelerates recovery from illness, improves your mood, frees up creativity, and reduces high blood pressure.
5) Maintain healthy sleep habits. Quality sleep helps learning, memory and achieving goals. A good sleep also helps us to focus on the more positive things in life (like sunshine, family and friends, health) and enables us to have the energy and desire to become more active. To assist in getting a good night’s sleep there are several things you can do during the evening:
Try not to eat a large meal within two hours of bedtime because your body will be busy digesting it and this can keep you awake (it also encourages weight gain).
Resist the urge to keep checking your mobile or watch. Research shows that this can disrupt the quality of sleep.
Stay away from caffeine. This can reduce total sleep time and disrupt deep sleep, even if you don’t feel a ‘buzz’ from consuming it.
Don’t do your exercise late in the day because it too stimulates your system when you should be winding down.
Avoid reading, watching or listening to anything upsetting, especially our news! Instead find something to focus on that gives you pleasure and calms and relaxes you during the evening.
6) Practice gratitude. Gratitude is very powerful – it decreases envy and self-pity while increasing how much you value what you already have. Focussing on your blessings will increase your overall satisfaction with life. There are always things to be grateful for all around us. When you are having a down day and we all have them, try making a list of the things you are grateful for and mentally compare your list with one that a refugee or a homeless person might make.
7) Call a professional. If you still feel miserable, anxious, unable to cope and are perhaps even considering self-harm, understand that you do not have to suffer alone. Go to the ‘Covid-19’ page on our website, then click on the gray ‘Community Resource Guide’ button and look under ‘Crisis Services’. Call right away to find a professional counsellor or to access a local help line. Every person is precious. simple ideas will help you boost your emotional health and retain a measure of direction when much of our lives feel out of control.
1) Keep moving. It’s important to move often and regularly throughout the day.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be a long walk or a strenuous exercise routine (although either of them would be great), just do as much as you can without hurting yourself or draining too much of your energy.
If you spend long periods sitting down, put an alarm on to remind you to move once an hour (visit the bathroom, make a cup of tea/coffee, water the plants, go into a different room to fetch a book, clean just one window). Movement generates additional serotonin in the brain and serotonin is one of our ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters. It is good to give it an extra boost every now and then during the day.
2) Cultivate positivity. At first we may become emotionally swamped by what is actually happening in the crisis but eventually we must try to move beyond the raw negative feelings and rediscover beauty, remember our own strengths, enjoy uplifting music, or savour a light-hearted moment.
3) Set goals for yourself. We become happy when good things happen to us, but we are even happier when we decide to pursue a particular goal - and then achieve it!
Choose goals that are easy at first and then gradually find goals that may be a bit more challenging for you (meditate or deep breathe for a few minutes, phone a friend, wash the dishes, plan a new meal, send an email or a card, bake a cake, pray for those less fortunate than ourselves). Make goal setting part of every day.
4) Spend time outside. Research suggests that the brightness and intensity of sunlight during the day can deliver a boost to melatonin levels at night. Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in your body and helps control your sleep patterns. This is not about exercise or raising your heart rate but more about unwinding and immersing yourself in nature.
‘Bathing’ in nature has documented benefits so try to go outside for a short while every day, preferably avoiding the middle of the day. You could sit outside your front door or in the garden if you have one, or meander into our national forest. You don’t necessarily need to be in full sunlight and please remember to apply sunscreen first.
Benefits include:
Reduces stress, boosts your immune system, accelerates recovery from illness, improves your mood, frees up creativity, and reduces high blood pressure.
5) Maintain healthy sleep habits. Quality sleep helps learning, memory and achieving goals. A good sleep also helps us to focus on the more positive things in life (like sunshine, family and friends, health) and enables us to have the energy and desire to become more active. To assist in getting a good night’s sleep there are several things you can do during the evening:
Try not to eat a large meal within two hours of bedtime because your body will be busy digesting it and this can keep you awake (it also encourages weight gain).
Resist the urge to keep checking your mobile or watch. Research shows that this can disrupt the quality of sleep.
Stay away from caffeine. This can reduce total sleep time and disrupt deep sleep, even if you don’t feel a ‘buzz’ from consuming it.
Don’t do your exercise late in the day because it too stimulates your system when you should be winding down.
Avoid reading, watching or listening to anything upsetting, especially our news! Instead find something to focus on that gives you pleasure and calms and relaxes you during the evening.
6) Practice gratitude. Gratitude is very powerful – it decreases envy and self-pity while increasing how much you value what you already have. Focussing on your blessings will increase your overall satisfaction with life. There are always things to be grateful for all around us. When you are having a down day and we all have them, try making a list of the things you are grateful for and mentally compare your list with one that a refugee or a homeless person might make.
7) Call a professional. If you still feel miserable, anxious, unable to cope and are perhaps even considering self-harm, understand that you do not have to suffer alone. Go to the ‘Covid-19’ page on our website, then click on the gray ‘Community Resource Guide’ button and look under ‘Crisis Services’. Call right away to find a professional counsellor or to access a local help line. Every person is precious. simple ideas will help you boost your emotional health and retain a measure of direction when much of our lives feel out of control.