How to Protect Your Mental Health During COVID-19

While managing a situation like the COVID-19 outbreak, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed and worried, especially if you have a loved one in assisted living homes in Mesa AZ, or you yourself are a resident. Doing your part to slow the spread of the virus is important for your physical health, but managing your mental health is also critical.

You may be experiencing increasing feelings of anxiety, impatience, powerlessness, irritability or frustration. You may feel uncertain about the future or you may be worrying about isolation amidst changing schedules and social plans.

While feeling worried is all very expected and normal, there are ways you can boost your resilience during this challenging time:

1.      Take breaks from social media and the news

At a certain point, watching the news and logging onto Facebook can get far more upsetting than informational. Ensure the information you get is from non-sensationalist, reputable sources. Consider how much is helpful for you to digest within a day, and set boundaries.

Try to get involved in other activities that you enjoy so you can regain some sort of normalcy in your life. Make time for you, to unwind and give yourself reminders that these strong feelings will get better over time.

2.      Take good care of your body

Stretch, meditate, take deep breaths. Make it a point to eat well-balanced meals, get exercise regularly, get restful sleep and limit or do away with alcohol. This will not only boost your immunity, it will increase your resilience as well.

3.      Find ways to cope with the sudden drop in social contact

One of the best ways you can mitigate the Coronavirus pandemic is to practice social distancing. This can go against everything we as humans are used to, as many people seek comfort and connection from others during times of crisis. Find creative ways to keep those connections, and above all, remember that you are not alone.

Try to come up with new traditions for your loved ones. Call a family member, friend or coworker who you may be worried about. Send them a text message, direct message or email.

4.      Create an adapted schedule, taking cancellations into account

Keep things as consistent as you can, focusing on what you can control in terms of disease prevention.

5.      Write in a journal

It can be helpful to write down all of your fears in a journal until your anxiety has decreased. Make a list daily of what is going well in your life. In spite of the current situation, focus on how you can spend more time with your kids, or read that book you’ve been meaning to, or learn how to cook. Turn negatives into positives.

If you suffer from a pre-existing mental health condition, these recommendations are especially vital. If you have scheduled appointments with your doctor or therapist, keep them and attend them. If you don’t feel good physically, ask if they can do video appointments.

Who Is Heritage Lane?

Heritage Lane Behavioral Assisted Living is two single story buildings offering 57 private suites.  The assisted living community specializes in assisting its residents with behavioral issues related to specific mental health diagnoses.

It is our vision and our passion, to remember those in society that often get overlooked. Individuals with mental illness are the forgotten of the forgotten. At Heritage Lane Behavioral Assisted Living, this is simply not the case. It is not uncommon for mentally ill individuals to be committed to psychiatric hospitals or living homeless living under a freeway overpass.  There are also mentally ill residents of Arizona that live in Nursing Homes in locked institutional behavioral units because there aren’t less restrictive options available. Until now.

This is our love, our passion and our life work. Contact us today to learn more.