Dr. Amy's Tips: for Staying Sane During Home Shelter

Dr. Amy’s Tips for: Remaining Sane During the Mandatory Home Shelter

Have you heard from the experts how best to handle this situation? They’re all liars! No one can speak with expertise because we’ve never experienced this before. We’re in uncharted territory which has left many people (myself included) a little stressed out.

It is normal to feel this way. You may be feeling many emotions at once: scared, angry, bored…

I am still trying to figure this out myself, but I’ll share what’s working for me so far.

Embrace the Positive

As the clinic closure became imminent, I started to think about all the things I’ve wanted to do, both for the practice and at home, but haven’t had time.

I’ve needed to clean out the kitchen cabinets for some time. The vacuum filter is dirty. At work, I’ve literally had videos and seminars on my task list and every week, and I’ve moved it back because I’ve just been too busy.

The first step in remaining sane was to look forward to having more free time to complete some necessary tasks. I also thought about hobbies I’ve wanted to try or resume. I signed up for online sewing lessons so I can work on making some things during my extended time at home.

Make a Schedule

This is probably the most important tip. Having a schedule or routine is essential for well-being. As soon as we decided to essentially close our clinic, I made a work from home schedule. It’s actually a very nice schedule. It starts with an hour of exercise, followed by breakfast. I even scheduled a half hour sitting on the patio with my coffee. There is an hour of cleaning followed by “work”. The work hours are filled with things I want to accomplish for my clinic. In the beginning, we were in “crisis management” mode as there are many factors affecting the business right now. Soon, I look forward to making educational videos and studying more on my trade.

Exercise Every Day

Exercise is a natural anti-depressant and anti-anxiety aid.   You need to exercise every single day. It’s ok to just take a walk. Do something every day. In addition to calming the mind, exercise will strengthen the immune system. It will also help combat any treats or stress eating. Be careful though. You can’t out-exercise a bad diet.

Eat Healthy

It’s ok to indulge in the occasional treat. But try not to overdo it. You need a diet strong in fruits and vegetables to give you antioxidants to help strengthen your immune system. Processed foods high in sugar actually contribute to depression in the long run. Eventually, this situation will be over, and you don’t want to have gained a lot of weight.

During the first week, I found myself eating more treats. By the end of that week I felt pudgy and tired. I decided to lay off the junk a little.

Get Dressed

To get dressed or not to get dressed? I say get dressed. A good routine includes changing your clothes. You’ll feel better when you do. You don’t need to wear uncomfortable work clothes. Your home shelter clothes can resemble yoga pants if it makes you feel good.

Go Outside

Time in the sunshine breathing fresh air is essential for well-being. Even though we have to remain at home, most of the time, we can still go outside.

Get a Hobby

This is a great time to work on a hobby. Do you like to do puzzles or play board games? Maybe you want to learn cooking techniques. There are many free online tutorials. Get adventurous and try something new.

Focus on What You Can Control

Fear of the unknown can be very stressful. We cannot control government mandates or whether there’s enough toilet paper at the store. We can however focus on our response to this extreme situation. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers here. No one in this lifetime has lived through this situation. Do the best you can.

I hope you all stay healthy, both physically and emotionally. Stay tuned for guided meditation with Jerry and other tips to help you be as healthy as possible.

Here’s to your health,

Dr. Amy

Author

Dr. Amy Coopersmith