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The Pandemic and Anxiety
When I was 15 years old, a psychic predicted that the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, would be completely covered in water and it would no longer exist due to a tsunami on August 15th (my parent's wedding anniversary). She predicted that many people would die because that portion of the island of Newfoundland would be completely wiped out. I lived on the Avalon peninsula of Newfoundland. For a whole week, I heard about this impending doom on CBC news, NTV news, and on various radio station. In all of my years of life, I can honestly say that the week leading up to the psychic's prediction was the scariest time of my life. I was anxious and I was scared for my family and for myself. The video on the left corner will explain how I felt as a teenager and how I dealt with it. At the end of the video, you will hear 3 coping skills for anxiety discussed.
How to Take Care of Your Mental Health while in Social Isolation
1. Have a ROUTINE and Keep it Consistent
Try to keep to the same routine as you had while in school. Get up in the morning at 730 or 8, have breakfast, spend a couple of hours at school work, go for a walk, eat a good lunch, play a game, read a book, spend another hour at a hobby, eat a well-balanced supper. Having a routine makes us feel secure but also gives us a sense of purpose.
2. Keep a SLEEP Routine
Go to bed the same time as you would for school (11pm is a good time). Make sure you only use your bed for sleeping. Do not use your bed to watch television, text friends, or do school work. When you do these things in your bed, it causes you to not sleep well. Your bed should be for sleeping only. (A post is coming on sleep hygiene soon)
3. Exercise
Exercise is really good for us as it helps to refresh and rejuvenate us. When we exercise, a chemical called ENDORPHINS is released in our brains. The chemical naturally makes us feel better than what we felt before exercising. Go for a walk, a jog, or do workouts at home (ie. lift weights, do push ups, squats, stretching, etc.)
4. Spend time OUTDOORS
Fresh air is always good! Make sure you get out of your house every day. Our bodies also need Vitamin D which comes from the sun. Vitamin D helps us to fend off fatigue and exhaustion. For people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, doctors often prescribe Vitamin D to help them feel more alive and refreshed.
5. Get out of your bedroom
Staying in your bedroom all day will likely cause you to feel low in spirits. For those of you who suffer with depression, it will likely cause your depression to escalate. Make sure you spend time out in your living room with family or spend time outside on your deck.
6. 'Socialize' with people
At the moment we cannot be physically present with anyone because we are required to be socially distant. However, video chat still exists and you can meet up with your friends online. Get your friends together on video chat on FACEBOOK messenger, ZOOM, or SKYPE. You can hang out with one another online and perhaps you can play a board game online or do you hobbies together online (ie. artwork).
7. Eat Properly
Be sure to eat all your meals as this is where you get your strength and nourishment. Having food in our bodies helps our mind to think straight.
What else could you do to help your mental health during this time of social isolation?
Try to keep to the same routine as you had while in school. Get up in the morning at 730 or 8, have breakfast, spend a couple of hours at school work, go for a walk, eat a good lunch, play a game, read a book, spend another hour at a hobby, eat a well-balanced supper. Having a routine makes us feel secure but also gives us a sense of purpose.
2. Keep a SLEEP Routine
Go to bed the same time as you would for school (11pm is a good time). Make sure you only use your bed for sleeping. Do not use your bed to watch television, text friends, or do school work. When you do these things in your bed, it causes you to not sleep well. Your bed should be for sleeping only. (A post is coming on sleep hygiene soon)
3. Exercise
Exercise is really good for us as it helps to refresh and rejuvenate us. When we exercise, a chemical called ENDORPHINS is released in our brains. The chemical naturally makes us feel better than what we felt before exercising. Go for a walk, a jog, or do workouts at home (ie. lift weights, do push ups, squats, stretching, etc.)
4. Spend time OUTDOORS
Fresh air is always good! Make sure you get out of your house every day. Our bodies also need Vitamin D which comes from the sun. Vitamin D helps us to fend off fatigue and exhaustion. For people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, doctors often prescribe Vitamin D to help them feel more alive and refreshed.
5. Get out of your bedroom
Staying in your bedroom all day will likely cause you to feel low in spirits. For those of you who suffer with depression, it will likely cause your depression to escalate. Make sure you spend time out in your living room with family or spend time outside on your deck.
6. 'Socialize' with people
At the moment we cannot be physically present with anyone because we are required to be socially distant. However, video chat still exists and you can meet up with your friends online. Get your friends together on video chat on FACEBOOK messenger, ZOOM, or SKYPE. You can hang out with one another online and perhaps you can play a board game online or do you hobbies together online (ie. artwork).
7. Eat Properly
Be sure to eat all your meals as this is where you get your strength and nourishment. Having food in our bodies helps our mind to think straight.
What else could you do to help your mental health during this time of social isolation?
It is really important to take care of our WHOLE self at all times. We have 4 components that make up our whole self and each of those components need to be cared for by you. These components are: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. When we do not take care of certain components, our lives feel unbalanced and this can lead us to feel drained, irritated, unhappy, etc. During this pandemic, it is especially essential to take care of each component because we are already isolated which can lead to depression, etc. Therefore, it is essential to care for each of these areas. Choose at least one thing from each component of this Medicine Wheel daily.
STIGMA FREE Youth Wellness Toolkit
This site has great resources for YOUTH Grades 7 - 12.
It has COVID-19 inspiring stories, COVID-19 teen activities, COVID-19 Parent Resources, COVID - 19 Live Events, Coping with Mental Health in COVID-19 and community resources.
This site has great resources for YOUTH Grades 7 - 12.
It has COVID-19 inspiring stories, COVID-19 teen activities, COVID-19 Parent Resources, COVID - 19 Live Events, Coping with Mental Health in COVID-19 and community resources.