Living in a constant, chronic crisis is difficult beyond belief. How do you deal with crisis? Are you stuck feeling burnt out?
The year marches on, but we’ve lost count of the months we’ve spent dealing with COVID-19, economic instability, and racism. You’re not alone if you feel uneasy. But how can you cope with such uncertain times?
Here are 8 tips for the moments when you feel like you live in constant crisis:
1. Set healthy boundaries.
If you don’t want to drive yourself crazy, set boundaries on your time!
Give yourself appropriate parameters, like working for 30 minutes and then taking a break or giving just an hour or two of your day to friends. This way, you won’t emotionally overextend yourself.
2. Calm your body to calm your mind.
You can’t access wise thinking if your brain is constantly on alert. Thankfully, a few deep, mindful breaths per day will do the trick. If you want to practice mindfulness of body sensations, try gentle stretches or restorative yoga.
3. Make routines.
Make a daily routine that includes time for personal care, work, and leisure. Routine calms your mind, so you’ll have enough brainpower left at the end of the day to function.
4. Journal your thoughts and feelings.
Writing can help you process your experiences, find clarity, and heal, which is especially important right now. Having a place to reflect on your struggles and triumphs helps you capture your own wisdom. Also, remember that journaling isn’t a “one and done” process!
5. Make art.
If you don’t care for writing, use colors and pictures to process your emotions during hard times. You might find new perspectives from looking over your own art!
6. Keep your options where you can see them.
Stuck on making a big decision? Put your potential choices on sticky notes, and stick them somewhere where you will see them. Reminding yourself of the decisions ahead will help you choose more easily (and you might find some clarity on COVID-19-related decisions too!)
7. Have some fun with your (quarantine) tribe.
In this time of crisis, you can still have good, safe fun with the people you’re quarantining with. Try a game night with your partner or a movie night with your roommates!
8. Never, ever forget that you aren’t alone.
Even though you may feel alone right now, many people feel like their lives are in crisis too. The more you connect with those around you, the more you’ll discover that you’re not alone in your feelings.
The world may feel like it’s in constant crisis right now. But what if one of the best gifts of 2020 is the chance to confront your struggles with a new attitude?
Cynthia Ackrill, MD helps clients and organizations find “real life” strategies to take control of stress. If you would like help conquering your OTD and lowering your stress, email today or sign up for a class to take control of your life!
Previously published on YourTango.
Photo by Maxim Shklyaev on Unsplash
