10 Ways to Cope with Social Distancing (Patreon)

This is a stressful, uncertain time. So I've put together 10 ways to feel less shitty as we cope with the social ramifications of COVID19:

1. Mind your temperature. If you’re feeling cold, take a warm shower. If you’re stressing and panicking, put an ice pack on your forehead, back of your neck, or center of your chest. Bring your physical sensations into balance, and take some deep breaths. If your day feels like it’s off to a bad start, this is a great way to hit reset.

2. Dive deep into an existing passion. Maybe it’s a form of media, sports, art, gardening, reading, meditating… fill the empty space with the right kind of outlet.

3. Learn something new. There is a tutorial for EVERYTHING on YouTube. For instance, I want to improve my German language skills, learn some new dance moves, and decompress the stress with some Yoga and Somatic Therapy stretching. All of that is available on YouTube. What do you want to learn?

4. Call a friend or family member who might be struggling. This could be someone who’s physically at risk with a compromised immune system, someone who can’t stay at home for work reasons, or someone whose mental health worsens when they’re home alone. Acts of service can really get us out of our own heads, and improve the day of everyone involved.

5. Spread warmth on social media. DM someone to tell them they’re great. Share a meme to make people smile. Everyone is lonely, but we’re in it together. Helping other people feel less alone can be a great way to take the edge off for ourselves, too.

6. Eat well. When our routines are disrupted, it can be easy to disrupt our eating schedules, too. Be sure you’re taking in enough protein and vitamins daily. Be mindful of excess salt and sugar. These have massive impacts on how we think and feel. If you’ve had only a giant bag of chips and coffee today, balance it out with a salad, water, and maybe a can of beans with salsa. Whatever your flavor palette, pay attention to your moods and how they correlate with what goes in your mouth.

7. Move your body. Stretch, jog, jump rope, play with your kid(s) or your pet(s). If you’re feeling pent-up aggression, punch some damn pillows. Who cares? Get emotions out of your body, rather than letting them stagnate and frustrate you.

8. Have sex. If you can be with a partner, connect with them. If you are alone, pull out the toys. Let’s all treat ourselves to an extra hit of serotonin.

9. Listen to (non-political) podcasts. This may be part of your routine anyway, but it’s a great way to feel less alone, and just hang out with conversations from our digital friends.

10. Batch your intake of the news. My mental health has improved MASSIVELY ever since cutting my News check-ins to once daily, maximum. Our moods can really go up and down with the headline of the moment. There’s little to be gained from this, except a spike in blood pressure.

What else would you add to this list?

Stay safe out there, cuties. Love you!
xx
Morgan