“The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things”….

I have been thinking so much about Covid because it’s part of my job and well, who isn’t, right? The concern for me was about all the encouraged hand washing and OCD. Would that scratch that OCD itch in my brain? I got tired real quick about singing ‘happy birthday’ while washing my hands and it became clear to me that this is like life in that we can’t be perfect and striving to perfectly eliminate all risk is just not gonna happen, and increase anxiety.

It’s normal right now to have some low grade anxiety. I mean, it’s my first global pandemic and things change every day so the lack of reassurance is enough for anyone to feel a little more anxious. I have been reading more “Louise Hay” and came across this affirmation that I am loving right now: “I embrace the now”. I literally just sighed as I typed that. And I started thinking that this quarantine could last longer than we think so it’s important to do a few things that make us feel better because otherwise we could be white-knuckling it for a long time.

1. If you have a psychologist or healthcare practitioner, see if they can offer telemedicine appointments right now.
2. Exercise! There are some awesome 10-20 minute workouts on youtube. Exercise may be the single most beneficial thing for depression and helps get out some of that pent up energy.
3. Light candles at night to relax
4. Get dressed. I know it’s tempting to stay in jimmies all day, but get up and put on anything you want to wear!
5. Puzzles. Im seriously digging this Disney puzzle. It’s Minnie and Mickey on the red carpet and it’s a really calming thing for my brain. I bet coloring and card games like Solitaire would also be calming.
6. Journal. Here is a video I made about journaling https://myocddiary.com/2014/01/18/ocd-journaling/
7. Seek Connection

If you live alone and are naturally an introvert, you still need connection. One thing I like to do is FaceTime my family and friends for company. We don’t call to talk, we just turn on a movie at the same time on Netflix and watch it together. We also turn on FaceTime for working out. We pick a workout on youtube and start it at the same time and it’s a lot of fun. I know it can be hard to pick up the phone, but trust me, your friends will be glad to get a call. We are all in this together. Like always, one day at a time.

Stay well and stay strong!