Emotional toll of social distancing

04 Apr 2020 by Ted Escobedo 2 min read

There are a lot of emotions people are feeling right now.

• Fear and anxiety: It’s 100 percent normal to be worried about contracting or spreading COVID-19. It’s also normal to feel anxious about getting food and supplies. We’re not used to seeing empty grocery store shelves or lines to get into the store.

• Depression and boredom: Our normal daily routines are completely out of whack right now. Many of us are staying home, instead of going into work. It’s nearly impossible to get into a rhythm with so much uncertainty.

• Anger, frustration or irritability: These feelings have their root in the fact that we’ve had to relinquish control of so many things at once and the harsh reality that we are not exactly free to do as we please.

What You Can Do

Acknowledge what’s happening, and that it’s stressful.

Stay connected. Social distancing does not mean social isolation. You can still FaceTime, call, text, or have a Zoom happy hour with your friends.

Look for benefits. Examine how you can maximize this experience to accomplish personal goals that are more difficult to attain in normal, everyday life.

Try breathing exercises. Mindful breathing where you match your in breath with your out breath and focus on scanning your body is calming. You don’t have to spend 20 minutes, even three minutes will help.

Manage your news intake. It’s okay to set a few times a day where you’ll check in for updates. And, stick to reliable news outlets. Rumors spread quickly and feed into the panic.

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Emotional Health

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