Wellness in Isolation

Coping Skills for Isolation

Social distancing creates loneliness with the disconnection from our normal social interactions.

Here are a few tips on how to alleviate the isolation and loneliness factors:

• Schedule a regular social contact by phone or video chat
• Get absorbed in the fictional world – book, movie, TV series. This will help get your mind off the stress of everything going on around us.
• When working from home – Keep a regular schedule for breaks and lunch. It’s very easy to not be mindful of the time of day when you don’t have regular triggers for breaks. Set an alarm on your phone or computer to help.
• Practice virtual acts of kindness – when you are helping others it will lift your mood and help alleviate the negative feelings and emotions of loneliness
• Spend time in nature – go to an uncrowded park, hike a trail, walk in your neighbourhood. This gives us the sense of feeling connected to a larger world. It will help us pull out from our negative thoughts and will also boost your immune system.
• Start on a project you have been procrastinating on – paint a room, clean out a closet / garage, try cooking a new recipe. This is an excellent distraction from all the news and will help release feel-good endorphins. The completion of a project will give you the feeling of accomplishment and will boost your Mental Health.
• Take a virtual exercise class – exercise is vital to both physical and mental well-being. It will help you feel connected to others that are like-minded towards starting or maintaining physical activity.
• Listen to music / sing / pray / meditate – do any of these that resonate with you to help lift your mood.

Take on one of all of these in the coming days and weeks.

What else can you talk about?

Change the topic from COVID-19 to something the other person and you find fun an interesting.

• Heard any of the new music or watched any of the live stream concerts yet?
• What books have you or they read or are reading? Get into depth about it
• What are you watching on Netflix? Are you watching any of the same shows?
• Foodies? In a time when we do not necessarily have a lot in our fridges, apps like My Fridge tell you what recipes you can make with food on hand. Have fun exploring that with others you‘re talking to.
• Hear any good Podcasts lately? How do you even listen to a Podcast? What is a Podcast?
• What are your children or their children up to? What are they up to while keeping life busy and fun?
• Are the taking on any home projects?
• How are the furbabies in the family?
• Taking up or getting deeper into any new hobbies?
• Have stories of adventure to share with one another?

Looking for additional fun ideas to explore and share with your friends and family?

We want to take a moment to share the fun and fascinating things our team has found popping up online since self-isolating has become the new norm -> click here to see our growing list.

If you have ideas to add please email them to Kyle at kpaterson@brysoninsurance.ca.

This is a start.
Mind yourself and your Mental Health.

Tobin McLoed
Bryson Wellness Advisor & Finance/Billing Specialist