Stress and exhaustion can wear on the strongest and most mentally healthy of us. Especially now when all of our normal routines and ways of dealing with stress are not readily available to us while we are cooped up in our homes.
Things that people normally do to fight off the blues such as going to the gym, meeting up with friends for coffee, and going out on a date night may seem impossible now.
The old ways of doing things might not be available, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do all the things you need to do from the safety of your own home. It just takes a little bit of imagination and creativity. As a kid, you could go anywhere from your bedroom by reading, coloring, and imagining for hours and hours.
Tap into what you were capable of when you were younger. For example, if going to the gym was your stress relief, set up a workout regimen in your home. No equipment, no problem. Use body weight exercises to get you through this tough time. There are loads of videos online about how to use your body weight and small areas of your home to get a really good workout in.
Miss meeting up with your friends for coffee? Have a virtual coffee catchup online. There are apps and programs like Facebook Messenger and Facetime that allow virtual chats from anywhere, and group programs like Zoom that allow for multiple people to chat with each other. Brew a cup of joe, your favorite tea or chill a glass of wine and sit down with a group of your friends online and catch up. It will do wonders for your mental health.
Missing date night with your loved one? There are loads of options available to spend time together virtually. Many museums and parks are now offering virtual tours that the two of you could take together, even if you aren’t in the same house. You can go online while talking on the phone or video chatting and take the tours together. Or do something fun together like playing a video game or starting a movie at the same time and discussing it while you play or watch. You can even set up virtual dates in some games like Animal Crossing online where you invite your beloved to your in-game museum or watch the sunset together at the beach in the game while you talk or video chat at the same time. Bonding together in these ways can be surprisingly romantic and will give you memories you can look back on after all this crisis is over.
The important thing is looking out for your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing and being kind to yourself and those you love while we all work on protecting each by staying safe at home.