Coping With Coronavirus: How To Deal With Social Distancing, Remote Learning, & Isolation
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Information about the new coronavirus is everywhere and it can be overwhelming. Social distancing, distance learning, working from home and having to stay away from your loved ones. They are the situations we are all facing in our daily lives. It is stress we've likely never experienced before.
"It's okay to feel sad, it's okay to feel scared, it's okay to feel lonely," said Jami Young.
Young is a clinical social worker and therapist and CBS4 asked her for advice on how to cope with all the coronavirus anxiety.
"Some of the main things is keep some healthy habits for yourself. Maintain some kind of normalcy and routine while being realistic with what are limitations are right now. Set some kind of a slight schedule for yourself but only for the next day or so. Then 2 or 3 days later do it again. Don't' go to sleep to late at night and don't sleep to late in the morning. go for walks, cook, it's not an excuse to let all the bad habits come out," said Young.
If you're looking for some healthy distractions, there are plenty of options.
"A favorite book, watching a favorite TV show again, going for walks, doing yoga or whatever sport you like, if you can do it at home. Hanging out with your pet if you have one. Cleaning, everyone is cleaning out their closets right now, organizing your pantry," said Young.
What about dealing with isolation?
"Reaching out over the phone. FaceTime is great in particular because you can actually see one another whereas texting is really impersonal. So reach out to your friends, chances are your friends are feeling lonely too. Even if they have family and significant others living with them. Everyone is feeling lonely and isolated," said Young.
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This global pandemic is something we are all trying to understand and it can be difficult to explain to children.
"Be open and allow kids to ask questions, then answer the questions as best you can. Be honest if you don't know and let them ask you what they need to know but don't give more information because then they are going to stop paying attention. Most kids will ask a few questions and then be done. That's okay, let them go when they are ready," said Young.
Perhaps the most difficult is staying away from the elders we love.
"That's a reality right now we are all dealing with having to keep a distance from them. You can FaceTime with them, if that's not an option, you can mail a card, you can draw pictures, you can have children send a text message of that. Maybe they're at nursing home and are not savvy with the phone. You can call and tell the nurse to relay the messages," said Young.
