Self Isolation last day-me time...

Day 14 kicked in. And now I feel like a pro in self isolating. For the last 2 weeks I have been adjusting to new reality, mastering daily schedule to make sure there is enough time for home schooling, business and exercise. Some days worked better than others. Today is Sunday, no routine and some time for reflection. So while kids are watching some family, heart warming family movie, I can reflect...

The crisis took us by surprise, many of us could not imagine a pandemic like this could spread so fast all around the globe. As a psychologist and a friend, I had many conversations with people around me - and I was able to observe their and my reactions to this new situation. We mostly go through similar reactions:

Cognitive:

Difficulty making decisions

Lowered concentration

Memory problems

Other

Physical:

Headache

Fatigue

Changes in appetite

Other

Emotional:

Anger

Grief

Anxiety

Loss of emotional control

Other

Behavioural

Withdrawal from others

Loss of interest in work

Irritability

Other

How to cope with crisis:

• Structure your time: keep busy.

• You’re normal and having normal reactions – don’t label yourself "crazy". This is ABNORMAL situation.

• Talk to people -with current technology we can still keep in touch with friends and family. We have already had few "virtual drinks and gatherings"-it really helps staying connected

•Maintain as normal a schedule as possible. If you happen to work from home- regural catch ups with collegues can help you with feeling connected.

• Do things that feel good to you-positive emotions can support release of endorphines (happy hormones). Endorphines help with dealing with stress and pain.

You might find this articles about the effect of endorphins interesting.

Those are only few coping strategies -please feel free to add how you cope with current situation and increasing those endorphins in comments below.