Dr. Curtis McElroy

Author: docmac

  • Self-Care for Home Quarantine Anxiety and Depression

    Self-Care for Home Quarantine Anxiety and Depression

    While we understand the importance of home quarantine and social distancing, avoiding contact with other people can be difficult emotionally.

    The isolation can affect us. The long periods of being ‘locked up’ at home can have adverse psychological effects because we are such ‘social animals’ by nature. These effects include many emotional disturbances, such as fear, anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress, and irritability.

    During these trying times, it is essential to keep our mental and emotional health intact. Here are a few tips to help you deal with home quarantine anxiety and depression.

    ” Have The Right Mindset

    Most of what happens to you has a lot to do with your emotions and what’s going on in your head. Meaning, your mindset about your current situation greatly determines how things work out for you.

    To avoid developing anxiety or becoming deeply depressed due to home quarantine, you need to develop the right mindset. Instead of perceiving it as being locked up and stuck at home, view it as a time to spend with your family, or if you are alone, to do some of the things you have been wanting to for ages.

    If you’ve been busy working 40 hours and more a week, you probably haven’t been spending much time with your children. This home quarantine period gives you a chance to bond with them, and just relax at home. Relish having a great time with the people you love.

    Or if your workload has interfered with learning a new skill, get enthusiastic and make use of your home time to get started!

    ” Take A Break From the News And Social Media

    You might want to tune in to the news to keep up-to-date with what’s happening in the world. However, don’t overdo it. It’s okay to be informed, but don’t consume too much doom and gloom from watching the news. The news is not known for giving stories of love and happiness, whereas sad news can make you more anxious or more depressed. The same goes for social media. It’s the main source of news and information for many people, so it’s also not healthy to keep on repeatedly browsing your newsfeeds.

    ” Keep Your Normal Routine As Much As You Can

    Having to stay at home removes you from your daily routine, and these disruptions from your regular life can cause anxiety. The best way to handle this situation is to try staying as close to your usual routine as you can. Wake up at the same time that you normally do, cook and eat breakfast, and get ready for the day. Even if you’re not going to work, you may want to stick to your usual bathroom and dressing routine.

    If you’re not able to work remotely, you can spend your time learning a new skill. Wrap up your day at the same time that you get off work normally, and go to bed like you usually do. It will help maintain a feeling of normalcy, so you will feel that not too much has changed.

    ” Keep The Communications Open

    Keep anxiety at bay by communicating with other people continually. Thanks to technology today, home quarantine doesn’t mean being totally isolated. There’s chat, SMS, calls, and video conferences that you can take advantage of so that you will still feel connected to the outside world.

    You can also join support groups on social media and speak with other people who are going through the same thing. Being able to help other people can also bring comfort to you. It’s like being in your own therapy group at home.

    Taking care of your mental health is essential during a home quarantine. Take the right steps to care for your emotional and mental health as much as possible. It is important you stay positive and know that you won’t be stuck in home quarantine forever. You’ll be out and about before you know it, so hang in there!

  • Self Care Coping Strategies for ‘Cabin Fever’ or Self-Isolation

    Self Care Coping Strategies for ‘Cabin Fever’ or Self-Isolation

    There are times when you may find yourself isolated at home, and you may begin to start feeling like you are going to go crazy if you don’t get out. This has been termed as suffering from ‘cabin fever.’

    There are many reasons why you can be stuck indoors. It may be when you are sick and need time to recover. It may be to protect you from getting sick, such as from a virus outbreak, where people are asked to self-isolate in order to either not become affected, or to not infect others.

    The problem is boredom can set in, and your social isolation can hit you. Cabin fever is a condition that affects your mental and physical health in many ways.

    How do you know if you are suffering from cabin fever? Here are the symptoms that can be experienced.

    ” You are easily irritated.
    ” Your patience is short.
    ” You feel restless.
    ” You feel lethargic.
    ” You have unusual food cravings.
    ” You feel hopeless.
    ” You either gain or lose weight unexpectedly.
    ” You can’t concentrate.
    ” You don’t feel motivated to do anything.

    When you experience a few of these signs, it’s time you re-evaluate your self-care. Taking care of your health is essential when you have to stay at home for an extended period of time, whether by choice or necessity.

    Your Self Care Coping Strategies

    Here are some of the coping strategies you can use to help deal with cabin fever.

    ” Get Some Sunshine

    If you’ve been stuck at home for quite a while more than you normally would, you probably aren’t getting enough sunshine. To avoid cabin fever, you should get outside every day. Get some sunlight in your backyard. If you have a balcony, you can spend some time there.

    Or, if you have a window facing the sunrise, that will do too – spend a few minutes in the morning getting your dose of vitamin D. Darkness and lack of sunlight will restrict your vitamin D levels and can mess with your hormones, which makes cabin fever worse.

    ” Engage In A Hobby

    If you’re going to stay at home for a while, it’s a perfect time to do your hobby or start a new one, or engage in interests that you couldn’t do before, because you didn’t have any spare time. Do some knitting, painting, gardening, cooking, writing, playing board games, and playing with your kids. Get your creative juices flowing – it’s a good exercise for the brain too!

    ” Do Some Stretching

    When you’re stuck at home, your tendency is probably to sleep late and wake up late, binge on Netflix and other TV shows, stay glued to your mobile phone, and scroll endlessly on your social media feeds. Get off the couch now and do some stretching.

    A workout routine indoors doesn’t have to be complicated, and there are plenty of exercises you can do that don’t need gym equipment. When you stay active, your blood will flow properly throughout your body and boost the levels of feel-good hormones.

    ” Relax and Enjoy Some Quiet Time

    Now, you don’t always have to be up and about and all-out busy trying to be productive while staying at home. Doing so can make you overstimulated and overwhelmed. That’s why spending some quiet time for yourself is necessary. Set aside a time when you can meditate, practice mindfulness, and just relax your mind. Solitude can do wonders for the mind and body, so don’t ignore creating some quiet time.

    Staying at home doesn’t have to be depressing, boring, or frustrating. You actually have more time to reconnect with yourself and do the things you’ve wanted to do but couldn’t find a way to squeeze them into your busy schedule. Prevent cabin fever by following the suggestions above and enjoy some at-home self-care!

  • Maintaining Your Health And Sanity When Working From Home

    Stay at Home Self-Care Ideas for Your Health and Sanity

    There are many people who, for one reason or another, have to stay at home. Maybe you’re not feeling well and don’t want to risk your family and friends ‘catching’ what you’ve got. There are many reasons why we may be confined to our homes.

    If you are reading this, perhaps it is because you are stuck at home and looking for ideas to care for yourself and your sanity! If so, then you have made the right decision to take care of yourself, especially at a time when you obviously need to.

    Self-care is important, not only for you but also for the people who love you and rely on you. How can you be there for them if you don’t know how to take care of yourself and practice self-care?

    Here are some self-care ideas that will help you keep your sanity and stay healthy while at home.

    ” Start a Journal, and Keep Doing It!

    Having to stay at home for an extended period means you likely have time to do a lot of things. Starting a journal will help you touch base with yourself and what’s happening in your life. There are many things you can write about.

    Begin with a list of the things that you are grateful to have in your life, both big and small. It will help you see your life in a new light. You can also write about the challenges you’ve faced and how you were able to get through them. Then, think about your short-term and long-term goals and how you plan to achieve them.

    ” Pamper Your Body

    Pamper yourself while you’re at home. Take a warm bubble bath to relax your body and mind and keep all the negative thoughts away. Light some scented candles or add essential oils. Put on a face mask to moisturize your skin, turn up some relaxing music, and have a glass of wine to complete the treat.

    ” Declutter

    It’s hard to stay calm when everything is in chaos, not only the situation in the outside world but also your stuff at home. An organized place will keep the stress away. Take this chance to declutter your home. Organize your closet, the drawers and cabinets in the kitchen, and the files in your home office. You may also want to rearrange furniture to give your space a fresh look. You can declutter your mind too, but that takes practice.

    ” Pick a New Hobby

    Keep yourself from getting bored while you stay at home by picking a new hobby. Hobbies are effective ways to release your stress and to have fun. You may also want to pick up a new skill that you can use when you get back to your work, such as graphic design, copywriting, or website development.

    ” Go To Bed Earlier

    To say that sleep is a crucial part of keeping yourself healthy and your sanity intact is an understatement. When you are confined at home, do yourself a favor by getting plenty of rest. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier than your usual bedtime and make sure you get good quality sleep. A well-rested body will help you have a well-rested mind as well.

    Staying at home for whatever reason there is doesn’t have to be a difficult ordeal, although it can certainly be challenging. Instead, you should view it in a positive light and take advantage of the time to give yourself the care and attention you need.

    Follow the stay at home self-care suggestions above so that you can stay mentally healthy. You can also practice self-care by keeping your physical body healthy through exercise and eating a balanced diet.

Copyright @ 2017 DrCurtisMcElroy