How to Deal with Social Distancing

When looking back in history at the arrival time between Pandemics- the shortest is three years and the longest is fifty-six years. We hope and pray that this virus attack on our society and the world will be short-lived and not come back anytime soon.

Here are a few helpful ideas to help make this time of Social Distancing more tolerable:

1. Keep a regular routine it will help to foster good habits:

a. Exercise at the same time every day.

b. Take care of business, make phone calls and check emails at a prescribed time each day.

c. Stick to a normal diet. Don’t randomly snack.

d. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time.

e. Plan meals and eat at the same time of day

2. Moderation

a. It will be easy to eat and drink to much while staying at home.

b. Plan your meals and make snack times.

c. If you like to drink alcohol or cold drinks, plan on a cocktail hour. 1 hour for indulgence.

d. Schedule computer and social media time.

3. Be realistic and manage your expectations

a. We are not perfect. Relax and trust yourself to make the right decisions.

b. Our families are not perfect. Be more tolerant and provide them with an example of how you would like things to be. Don’t preach, teach.

4. Stay connected

a. Call, text or email the people who are important to you.

b. Contact them for a reality check make sure we all stay connected.

c. Ask for support from family or friends if you need it.

d. Ask the people that are important to you if they need some type of support. Make suggestions; do you need me to pick up something for you when I go out to shop?

5. No Guilt

a. Do not put unreasonable pressure on yourself. There is only so much we can do at a time like this.

b. Be happy, rejoice in the positives. We have more time to do the things we like or desire to do.

c. Learn new skills.

d. Preform hobbies

e. Read novels

f. Play games

g. Sew, knit, crochet

h. Write letters

i. Write in your journal

j. Learn a new language

6. If isolation starts to become too much:

a. Volunteer somewhere

aa. soup kitchen

bb. food pantry

cc. deliver food

b. Check on the elderly people in your area

aa. Shop for them

bb. offer to be a contact for phone visits

7. Focus on Today

a. Do not worry about tomorrow, it does you no good

b. Each day should be structured to accomplish a goal. Make a to do list as you think of things.

aa. clean a closet

bb. fix a piece of furniture or repair a fence

cc. write your memoir

dd. plant a garden

ee. paint inside or out

ff. wipe smudges off of walls and doors

ff. paint a picture

gg. clean windows inside and out

8. Be Careful

a. If someone would like to stop by and come into your house, ask to take a raincheck for another time. Like after the virus has passed.

b. Put your chair out at the edge of garage and let people come by to visit with a chair and let them sit in the driveway minimum 6 feet away to visit. We used to do this in the old days by sitting out on the porch.

9. Be good to yourself

a. Schedule a time to pamper yourself

b. Take a bath

c. Do your nails

d. Put a hydrating mask on your face. There are all kinds of home remedies.

e. Watch a favorite movie

Remember this is a temporary situation. We must all make the most of it and focus on the time we are being given to do the things we normally don’t have the time to do. This is where we can find value in what we focus our attention to.

Developing a routine can help us feel like we have control over what is happening to us. It can help us develop healthy habits and a regular routine can aid our mental health. It can help us to cope with change, to form healthy habits, and to reduce our stress levels.

Be safe and healthy,

Monica Broussard