Dealing with Stress and Anxiety in our new “Normal”
How has the last week been for you lovelies?
If it was anything like mine, I feel for you!
All of a sudden we are thrust into a new “normal”! Some of us have been forced to start working at home, others to homeschool their children. Sometimes both things at the same time! (Yes, that is me!).
On top of that, we have to babysit our husbands as well! Haha!
Not only that, we are now, in many places, forced to stay at home unless absolutely necessary!
We humans beings are not happy to change our ways too often. We thrive on routines and habits. It takes time to change something we are so used to doing.
And this is the situation most of us are experiencing at the moment.
Abrupt changes can be very stressful in the best of times. Add to this the fear and anxiety about a virus we know little about, plus the media bombarding us with an overlaod of information and panic and hysteria… well it’s recipe for disaster.
I’m going to share here what I’ve been trying to do to keep my anxiety under control as much as possible. I hope it can help you too.
- Avoid the news and social media as much as possible. It is hard not too feel anxious when we are constantly hearing about the virus, lockdowns, sold out supermarkets and flattening the curve. Yes, keep yourself updated once or twice a day, but I recommend not more than that. Turning off the news and keeping away from social media has helped me so much.
- Go outside and get some sunshine (if you have it!), fresh air, and movement. Not only does this help with physical immunity and health, it is also paramount to mental health. All human beings need to be outside part of the time!
- Try to keep your normal routine going. Go to sleep and get up at the same time. Get dressed in different clothes. If you are newly working from home try to keep similar hours. Routines ground us and help us with uncertainty.
- If you now have kids at home, try not to stress too much about homeschooling or whether they’ll be behind or not. Kids will be just as anxious about this as us, even if not fully aware about the situation, and they will pick up on our own anxieties. Be with them, support them, listen to them, play games, and try to keep a routine as well to anchor the whole family.
- Try to exercise as much as you can. If you can, go for a walk or a run outside. If you are stuck in side, there are now a myriad of online fitness/yoga/dance and other classes all over the internet. We need to keep our bodies strong and fit to help our immune system and our mental health.
- Keep in touch with friends and family, through chats or video calls. Humans need connection. We are all in this together, and it’s always nice to hear from someone just checking up on you. Help your kids to remain in touch with their friends as well — it must be difficult for them not to be able to play and chat with friends anymore!
- Don’t feel pressured to (or guilty that you didn’t) do everything that you thought you would do now that you are stuck at home. You know what I’m talking about: decluttering and deep cleaning your house; doing all the yoga classes online; meditating everyday; reading all the books on your bedside table. Relax, take your time, and do only what you need and want to do.
- If you feel overwhelmed, reach out. To your family, to your friends. Even to your homeopath! We are here to help!
I’m still working from home with clients, so if you need an appointment just get in touch! Email me at homeopathy@stephaniethullen.com.
I’m also now working with an amazing international group of homeopaths on a new venture to offer homeopathic help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can check this out here: www.homeopathy247.com.
I’m sure there are so many other ways to deal with stress and anxiety during these difficult time. I’d love to hear what has worked for you too! Leave your ideas and experience in the comments if you wish!
