“How long will lockdown last?”
“When will lockdown end?”
“What states are on lockdown?”
One in five! Can you believe that? At the same time; if you recall any time you’ve spent cooped up in your house this year, it kind of makes sense. Your old schedule has been violated. Your old sources of stability might have been taken away. Relationships might have changed, sometimes in a reduction in quality and quantity. Exercise likely ground to a halt and a general aire of anxiety might have settled on your life.
You don’t want to go through this again.
There has to be something to do about this!
Well, here’s your lucky find of the day.
How Does It Work?
We are born to move about. Things like dancing, running, and stretching generally give us a good feeling. We are born to build relationships and interact with others. Extended touch between two people often releases pleasurable neurochemistry. Our bodies adapt to our daily grind of a schedule and anticipate events accordingly (interesting how you get hungry right as lunch is in 15 minutes at work, isn’t it?) When this is changed in significant ways; the body can no longer anticipate the next event and can experience anxiety that compounds into stress.
Take away these seemingly routine events and that stress (plus time spent thinking) can easily spin its way into thoughts that create further anxiety and, unfortunately, depressive symptoms.
Without the aid of work schedules, contact with loved ones, and unlimited time; you MUST BE DELIBERATE. With no guides for the ‘autopilot’ of our daily lives; we must take control and pilot our way forwards.
What Do I Do About This?
Scheduling
Scheduling is a great skill during times of inactivity that can counter depression and anxiety.
Make a schedule for yourself. This can be as easy going as hour by hour if you want. The tasks you set might seem rinky dink at times (nap, lunch, video games, really?). The point here is that you are doing approximately the same thing at the same time each day. At the very least: rise at the same time, eat at the same time, go to bed at the same time.
After a week or two; your body will start to anticipate these events and reduce the uncertainty of these basic tasks.
Here’s a tool you can use that was originally made for the federal government pause some time ago.
Contact With Others
While this will be more difficult for you in a ‘home lockdown’ situation; it isn’t impossible. Even just a simple occasional hug from another person in your household will likely be helpful to your mood and level of stress. If you live alone, then play with your pet.
No pets or people around? Give a friend a call. Chances are; they are also going through some stuff. They’d probably appreciate the phone call, text, or message.
No pets, people, friends, phone, electronic devices, fax machine, telegraph, etc. (how are you reading this)?
Take a seat.
Take your right arm and draw it across your body. Place your right hand under your left arm and place your hand on the side of your rib cage. About 4-6 inches below your armpit about heart level.
Give it a little firm pull into your body. Almost like you are holding yourself.
Next, take your left hand and grasp the arm part of your right shoulder.
Now, your arms should be crossed across your chest.
Give yourself a good, firm hug. Hold that firm for at least a full minute.
Doesn’t that feel nice? You are giving your body the message that you are secure, safe, and worthy.
Movement
Moving is what your body is meant to do. Give yourself a good stretch. Feeling bold? Go out on a walk around the block. Remember that pet that snuggling with you in the last paragraph? Take it on a walk. Is it a fish? Don’t take it on a walk.
Movement is how we let our body know that we are LITERALLY ‘moving on’.
Put on a song. “Alexa, play a real banger.”
Move to the rhythm. Sway. Swing your arms. Pump your legs. Feeling bold? Step in time and move your torso. AT THE SAME TIME.
Moving in time with the beat is a great way to exercise and reorient yourself to the present. It’s hard to dance if you aren’t listening and anticipating the next beat in the music.
Breathing
Get into a comfortable position. This could be a chair, a bed, a floor, laying under a tree. As long as you are comfortable, then the spot will work.
Take in a deep breath, then let it out slowly through your nose. Breathe with your belly and not your upper chest. Give yourself all the time in the world to slowly let that breath slip out of your nose. After you have exhaled, then draw in another breath slowly from your nose and repeat the process.
Breathing is one of the VERY few things we have direct control over that can concretely change our blood chemistry in a small amount of time. If you’d like more guidance, then check out this previous blog devoted to breathing.
STOP Mindless Activity!
If you see this sign, then Chris Hutcheson, LCSW of Gentle Beacon, LLC in Lafayette, Indiana recommends you go to the OTHER Burger King.
If you find yourself mindlessly eating, gambling, shopping, smoking, or anything really. Just kindly tell yourself to stop and do something else. These kinds of processes used carelessly can bend your reward neurochemistry to some sinister places.
Trust me. Life is already pretty tough. You don’t need any of those coming out of a lock down.
If you’d like to read more about mindfulness, then click here.
This won’t be easy. You will eat a bit more. You will be a little less active.
Be kind to yourself.
Just because things are how they are doesn’t mean they will be the same in the next.
This too shall pass.
Hang in there and I’ll see you soon,
Chris