Coronavirus confinement driving you mad?

Coronavirus confinement driving you mad?  Feeling powerless and depressed? Missing GOING to work and OUT? Don’t despair! Here are 15 proven survival methods for parents and families and a novelty for singles!

 

There.

 

I’ve said it in public.

 

I keep receiving inquiries from men and women who can’t stand it.

 

My clients in mediation and mentoring report it.

 

Going mad,

 

feeling powerless,

 

stressed out

 

and even depressed.

 

That’s why I decided to write this. If you haven’t freaked out yet, but you feel it’s a matter of days or hours, it’s high time you did something about it!

Many of my clients say that applying just a few of these rules gave them a sense of control over the situation and satisfaction.

 

I hope you will feel relieved too !

 

* Disclaimer: these rules are written from a family-person perspective. If you are living on your own, you will find my new recommendation below. Enjoy!

 

1. The first method consists in admitting that there is something you can do about it. As a matter of fact, you are the only one who can do something about it!

 

You’re the only person responsible for the way you feel, no matter how harsh it sounds to you. Others may contribute to it in either a negative or positive way, but YOUR DECISION to do something about it is KEY.

Prepare mentally to work it out.

 

2. If you feel that you are not yet in the mood of being constructive and productive, set a deadline. Say, for instance: I will stop feeling sorry for myself in an hour. Read this list and when the deadline comes, start applying these rules.

 

3. Look around you. Living in a family gives you a choice – choice of company. If there a member of your family that has a particularly positive influence on you? You may be surprised- it can even be your own child! Spend some time with this person. If it’s your child, spend some time doing an activity both of you enjoy. If they are not your close family, call them or organize a skype/whattsup conference call.

 

4. Clear you living space. As a matter of course, you influence your space, but it’s been proven that your space can influence you back, too. Make sure your place is tidied up and clean. You will feel way better if it is!

 

5. Make your space more enjoyable. You may ask yourself a question: which room is the most important for me? It may be your bathroom (yes!); it may be your bedroom. Start with the room that most matters to you. Let some light in, change bed sheets, put some candles for the evening, fresh flowers if you have access to them ?). Put some books you enjoy reading next to your bed. Prepare this space so that you can enjoy being there when the time comes.

 

6. Bad news and coronavirus-related news may have a bad influence on you. Don’t let it spoil your day! Follow official instructions, but limit time spent counting how fast the virus spreads to 1-2 checks a day! Don’t let stress or fear consume you!

 

7. Work can relieve stress, but don’t overdo it! If you must work, set a limit to the number of hours you spend working. Don’t let your working hours stretch and take up the whole day!

 

8. Set a daily routine. It’s important to get organized. Make a list of things you need and want to do tomorrow. Work on it every night so that you know exactly what to do when you wake up.

 

9. Set a morning ritual if you haven’t set one yet. Pray and exercise – that’s just a few examples. Sit-ups and squats followed by stretching- this will reinvigorate your body and fill your lungs with oxygen. Prayer will put everything in the right perspective. That’s a good start!

 

10. Decide on the amount of sleep that best suits you. What time is best for you to go to bed and to get up? If an alarm makes it easier for you, set it !

 

11. Many people report problems sleeping. If you are one of them, remember to finish any screen-related activity at least 1h before going to bed. Read in bed instead of scrolling Facebook (not even this post!)

 

12. Indulge yourself with something nice to eat, just make sure you finish eating 4 hours before going to bed. Otherwise, digestion will wake you up around 2-3 am. Don’t’ let your treats spoil your night rest!

 

13. Alcohol- that’s a tricky one. At last you don’t have to worry about driving next morning, right? Still, be careful or else it will become a dangerous habit for you… and we don’t want you to end up addicted to alcohol now, do we? If you must, make sure you have a glass of wine or a beer once a week at the most.

 

14. Refresh your mind! Start a new activity or master a new skill, especially the one that were always on your mind. Is it singing? Is it drawing? There is plenty of tutorials available online. If you’ve never had such artistic inclinations, take up …cooking! Start by making light meals such as salads with marinated chicken and home-made dressings, or pasta with a nice sauce, moving gradually to cookies and even baking bread. Not only will you spend a few nice moments in the kitchen creating and savoring the outcome of your creativity, possibly with your spouse and children, but you will treat your family to home-made delicious meals. Isn’t it a win-win situation?

 

15. Practice gratitude. Appreciate what people around you do or say, even if it’s something negligible. Congratulate yourself on small or big accomplishments. If it’s not been your habit until now, it may feel odd, but believe me: you’ll get used to it in no time, and people around you will feel great!

 

*If you are living on your own, have been asked to work from home and are missing all that buzz of the office, here is a method of dealing with it: set up a conference with your immediate team using zoom, whattsup or even Skype and keep it on as long as you work. This way you won’t feel alone, because your colleagues will be with you all the time!

 

Did you find it helpful?

 

I hope it’ll help you and many others in your network! Don’t keep it to yourself!

 

If you have your own methods of dealing with stress in confinement and want to share them- go to my fanpage and write them below my post!

 

Anna Saczuk

 

Your communication expert and international mediator