Coronavirus Advice in these difficult times
Our clinical psychology team have put together some generic advice to help in these “difficult times”.
The following are suggestions to help you to cope in these uncertain times. You may not agree with everything. You may feel that some of the suggestions are not for you. You can pick and select what to do.
These brief papers are not all that there is to know about the various topics but may help you to understand what is happening to you and what you can do to change the situation for yourself and your loved ones.
Keep to your usual routine even if you are working from home/self-isolating/unable to go to school. Get up at your usual time. Keep breaks and mealtimes the same as normal. Sometimes we eat too much, sometimes we eat too little, sometimes we eat just right. Go to bed at your usual time. Usual routine will help people and pets. Distinguish between weekday routine and weekend routine.
Engage in your usual self-care (wash/do your hair/clean your teeth and floss/shave/dress/use of deodorant, makeup and perfume or aftershave. If you are working from home or studying dress in appropriate clothes even though you are at home.
Reduce the amount of time and number of checks that you make on social media and on internet or television news. The news tends to be repetitive. So, catching up at a set time of the day will ensure that you keep up to speed as to what is happening. Similarly, for social media. Too much exposure may increase anxieties and lower mood, especially if you check near your bed time.
Speak to each other about anxieties and irritations. In the current situation some anxiety is understandable and is normal. This can be done face to face in the family or via the telephone or social media or video links. Try to avoid bottling things up. Others may be having the same concerns.
Set daily achievable goals in advance. Plan what you will do as a minimum tomorrow. Maybe one goal for the morning, one goal for the afternoon and one goal in the evening. If that is too much then reduce your number of goals.
Pace your activities. If you have a task to do, then do it slowly rather than rushing. Indeed, can the task be broken down into its component parts and done at different times of the day or on different days? E.g. Do you have to wash the plates and dry them and put them away in one go?
Share tasks between family members. That way you can talk to each other (or not) and split the task so that there is no rushing.
Teach new skills to family members. E.g. how to use the washing machine or how to drill a hole to put up a shelf. There are lots of online courses.
Take up a new hobby. Something you have been meaning to do but have never had the time.
Clean out your email or computer folders or cupboards or drawers or shed or garage and other jobs that again you never have time or inclination to do.
Manage your alcohol intake, if you drink alcohol, as the maximum recommended limit is 14 units per week for men and for women. Be aware of what you are doing rather than drinking without paying attention.
Keep hydrated by drinking tap water throughout the day.
Plan for the future - What would you like to do once life returns to the new normal?
Exercise in the house (be mindful of your neighbours if you are in a flat) or in the garden (if you have one) or in the street (whilst keeping a social distance). Skipping is possible even without a skipping rope. A washing line or piece of rope is useful out of doors or just imagine a skipping rope if you are indoors. Improvise with household items if you are used to going to a gym such as using tins of food for weights. If you have young children you may be able to set up a supervised exercise course in the house using furniture.
Sleep well. Reduce your activity level, your use of electronic equipment and your alcohol intake for at least 2 hours before going to bed. Go to bed at your usual time and get up at the same time.
Clinical Psychology at Tayside Complete Health
Dr Linda Gibson, Mrs Penelope Fraser, Dr Mandy Forbes & Mrs Caroline Guthrie