If you struggle with depression like me, structure and activities are what keep you sane so being forced to stay home in quarantine is a scary thing. I knew that if I didn’t form some type of schedule or stay focused on what I needed to do, my depression would get the best of me.
Before I came home for spring break I was experiencing a bout of depression that I couldn’t really explain but it made me unable to find the motivation to get out of bed and do anything, even go home-which was something I had been looking forward to for months. When I finally did return home, it was only about two days before Penn State announced we wouldn’t be returning to school for three extra weeks. I knew that with this extra time off that included little to no structure that I would have to figure out how to stop myself from falling into a downward spiral. I’ve been practicing these tips for the past few weeks and they’ve helped immensely. The days that I don’t use these tips are significantly worse than others.
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Make your bed everyday, try not to do your work or anything else in your bed other than sleep.
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Get dressed every day, even if it’s changing from one pair of PJs that you sleep in to another pair. For me, I do a bit of makeup most days because it helps with my anxiety taking too much control over me and making me pick at my face. I know it’s a bad habit and I’m working on it, some people bite their nails-I pick my face.
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Keep to a schedule. Even if it’s a loose outline, just wake up at the same time every day and go to bed at around the same time.
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Stay connected to others online or by phone. It’s hard to be isolated from people you love, so really make an effort to stay connected and talk to them everyday. Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, text and calls are really helpful during this time.
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Focus on what is in your control. I’ve become a really diligent student because it’s something that I can control, I can focus on taking notes, reading textbooks, etc. to keep my mind off of everything.
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Try to meditate. I love using guided meditations from 10 Percent Happier, they have a great podcast as well and have been posting twice a week since all of this started. It also helps with advice with stress and anxiety.
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Incorporate small acts of joyful movement. This can be anything from walking your dog, running around outside, trying yoga, playing Just Dance or learning a TikTok dance. Whatever you can do to get yourself moving.
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Make sure you have refills of meds and take them as prescribed. This is very important, especially for anyone who has diagnosed mental health issues. Contact your doctor about possibly filling the prescription that could last for awhile, and ask over the phone for virtual check-ups to reduce having to go to the doctor’s office for non-life threatening issues.
If we all stick together and stay positive during this time, we can all get through this! Stay safe everyone!!