WORLDVIEW: Five ways to cope with the Covid-19 lockdown

Coping with a Covid-19 lockdown is a challenge. There is the lack of novelty, the uncertainty, the stress of being around your family 24/7 or – for those who live alone – the stress of total isolation. There's the endless snacking, the constant social media scrolling, the desperate search for things to do with bored children. And, of course, there is the omnipresent anxiety of the pandemic – will we or someone we love get sick, will we hold onto our jobs, will the world ever get back to normal?.It's a tough time, but there are ways to cope with these challenges.. Stick to a routine ___STEADY_PAYWALL___.In this time of upheaval, it can be tempting to fall into bad habits. This may be skipping meals and then filling up on snacks, skipping your morning shower, staying up late, and waking up at different times each day..Lockdown can feel like a break from reality and it's easy for us to allow our usual schedules to fall by the wayside. But doing so can actually add substantially to your stress and sense of dislocation..At a minimum, try to do the following:.Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day – this will help you maintain a normal sleep schedule, which is the foundation of good healthShower/bath daily (if that's your normal habit) and get dressed every morning – this will help you feel fresher, healthier, and more mentally fit and normalEat as well as possible – travel restrictions can make it very hard to get the foods you normally eat, but sticking – as much as possible – to a reasonably healthy diet that includes fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains will make a world of difference to your health and the health of your familyDo some exercise every day – it doesn't have to be anything crazy, a quick YouTube yoga video or an impromptu family dance party that gets the blood pumping will do – the key is to get some movement in at a time when we find ourselves spending all day on the couch. Stop the endless news and social media scroll.If you're anything like me, you've spent far too many hours of lockdown scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or whatever your social media poison is – not to mention the hours spent checking news sites and ruminating over the scarier stories..While it's absolutely natural to want to feel connected by seeing your friends' social posts and informed by keeping up with the news, hours spent staring at a screen and absorbing stressful news are doing you no favours. Give yourself one hour a day to look at the news and your social media – perhaps 30 minutes in the morning and evening – and leave it at that..This can be tough to stick with, but I promise it will make a huge difference in how you feel.. Stay in touch.Now is the time to work extra hard on staying in touch with friends and family. Make it a point to reach out to someone every day – set up a phone call, a video call, write an email, or even just send a text. Relationships erode when we don't see one another and make time for one another, so every minute you invest in remaining connected to your friends is an investment in the future of your relationships.. Make each day special.Perhaps one of the hardest things about lockdown is that every day is more or less the same. With no fresh experiences in sight, it's easy to feel depressed, tired, stressed, and cranky..You can fight this by creating your own novelty. Every day try to think of one thing you can do to make the day different or special. Perhaps you set up a fancy movie night, complete with a favourite film, popcorn, dimmed lights, and special seating in your living room. Perhaps you give yourself a mini spa day by taking a long bath instead of a shower. Perhaps you cook a new dish, play an old board game, read a book you've had gathering dust on a shelf for months, or try a new workout routine (lots of gyms and fitness instructors are offering free online classes)..It doesn't have to be anything dramatic but finding one fun and fresh activity every day can make a world of difference. You can even make the hunt for a new activity a game for your kids – let them make suggestions and reward good ideas.. Connect to the outdoors.This may sound strange, given how indoors-y lockdown is, but humans are meant to spend time outside. If you are lucky enough to have a garden, this may mean just sitting outside and soaking up some sun for ten minutes a day. If you don't have a garden, this can be a lot trickier. One option is to take a few minutes to sit quietly, close your eyes, and listen to an outdoors sound like crashing waves, birds chirping, or a river running. You may even find it helpful to start spending a few minutes a day meditating on the outdoors – you could picture your favourite beach, park, or hiking trail and spend some time there in your imagination..Doing this reminds us that even though our worlds have shrunk down to the size of our homes, the wider world is out there, and we will, one day, return to it. This can help keep hope alive and, after all, that's the most important way to survive any trial, including lockdown.

WORLDVIEW: Five ways to cope with the Covid-19 lockdown

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