 Sleep is not easy for everyone. In quarantine, sleep can also become more stressful. With more time on our hands and less busyness in our day, one would think that sleep would become less of an issue. However, for many that has not been the case. Our bodies rely on cues from our environment (levels of light exposure) to produce melatonin so that your body is told that it is time to get tired. With less time spent outdoors and less movement in our day, many of us do not expend the energy we need or notice the changes in light that help give us the drive for sleep. Anxiety and depression can also disrupt sleep, which is additionally relevant during these stressful times. It is only natural to have worries that start to creep into our pillow time and disrupt our ability to fall asleep. Another thing that makes sleep more challenging is our more flexible attitude towards bedtimes and wake times during quarantine. We tell ourselves that we can watch another Netflix episode and sleep in, as there may be no urgency the next morning. While that may be fine for our personal schedule, it is not so helpful to our body’s natural rhythms. This leads to physiological confusion that can greatly alter our natural bed and wake times. In the realm of sleep, consistency is key. So if going to bed late and waking up late is something you want to indulge in, fine, but make sure you are able to maintain that pattern consistently or your sleep will suffer. At times where we all want to stay healthy and keep our immune system strong, it is more important now than ever before to get a good night sleep. For those of you who could use some help with your sleep please continue reading. 10 Tips to Improve your Quarantine Sleep
If you would like to learn more about sleep in quarantine check out the Ted Talks Daily podcast “why sleep matters now more than ever” by Matt Walker. Image used under Creative Commons license. CLICK HERE for the source. Image: Insomnia by Alyssa L. Miller. See side panel for further copyright information.
 In one way or another, our lives have changed over the last month. Lately, I have been speaking to many who have had to alter their plans, deadlines and expectations for life events. There is also a sense of loss for many. That may be the loss of a loved one who has passed due to COVID19, the loss of a job, or the loss of business income you have worked hard for. For many, it may be a more unique experience of grief, a loss of an expected life milestone or opportunity as a result of our changing world. Expecting parents have had to alter their birth plans. Students have had to change their summer plans. Engaged couples have had to move their wedding dates, previously awaited surgeries have been postponed, and convocating students at all levels will not have the graduation ceremony they have waited years for. Even those who have not lost anything tangible are still adapting to the immense loss of day to day freedoms. Whether your loss is big or small, that loss may feel very real to you and that can feel deeply saddening and frustrating. In these moments, it can feel like we have lost all sense of control in our lives and our life plans. It is true that we do not have control over COVID19, nor how long it lasts and disrupts our lives, but focussing on one’s lack of control can be unsettling. What is most helpful is to pick apart the smaller components of these large circumstances and life plans in order to seek the elements where we do have some control. Recognizing the small elements of control that we do have, and accepting the components that we do not have control over, can help us feel grounded during these turbulent times. It is also important that we recognize our losses and the losses of those around us without comparison so that we all feel validated in our personal experience. It is natural to take all of these new timelines and start to worry about how to plan accordingly for these next steps. Plan for the future, but know that your plans will change. Essentially, have a plan but hold it lightly. When these new plans feel frustrating to accept, try and see if there is an alternative way to perceive this new situation by reframing it in a more positive way. Image used under Creative Commons license. CLICK HERE for the source.
Image: Change by Thorsten Koch. See side panel for further copyright information.  This weekend I watched the Netflix documentary entitled Minimalism, which dives into the lives of individuals who have taken the bold move of stepping away from the “consumerist culture” that many of us are influenced by. Although I am not likely to get rid of all of my belongings or stop shopping, I did feel inspired to examine the clutter in my life.
This documentary touches on two types of clutter, the physical and the mental. For me, these two realms are very much connected, as a cluttered physical environment can lead to feeling overwhelmed, anxious and stressed. Conversely, a chaotic mental state can start to impact our functioning and control over our physical space. Even without the extreme examples of individuals who abandon all nonessential belongings, there is something to be said for living a life of less, and appreciating what we have rather than the constant pursuit for more to fill a sense of unsatiated happiness. However, there is also the idea that having a clean physical environment is not enough, and that we need to learn to declutter our minds. This can be fostered through meditation and learning to not hold tightly onto all thoughts, especially ones that are not helpful. By mindfully choosing the thoughts we would like to hold onto, we can learn to keep our mental space more clear and ready to take on our day. During a time in the world when our lives and jobs have been simplified in some ways and limited in others, this concept of minimalism and finding gratitude for what we have seems even more relevant. Thus, it might be a good time to take the old saying “spring cleaning” and apply it in a new way. This might mean appreciating the quiet and slower pace of our new routines, or appreciating the quality time that we have with those we live with. You can start with the physical or you can begin with the mental arena, all that matters is that you start somewhere and see how it impacts you. Whether we like it or not appreciating minimalism may be a key theme in making it through these quarantined times with meaning.  COVID19 has disrupted our lives for the past month. At this point we are oscillating between acceptance of this new normal and struggling to adapt to a potentially depressing at home lifestyle. Today I wanted to discuss how caring and supporting others during this time can increase the emotional burden we are currently carrying around. Compassion fatigue can be understood as feelings of “burnout” as a result of supporting others who are experiencing great stressors. Compassion fatigue is highest when we are emotionally invested and greatly empathize with the stressors of those we support. The more you care about others, the more their pain becomes your pain. This can become exhausting and starts to take a great toll on our own mental health. This may be due to caring for people in our lives who may be “frontliners” or simply have loved ones who are struggling with this new lifestyle. COVID19 and related social isolation has left many of us to feeling pressured to “check in” on friends and family more often than in the past. Taking the time to call our grandparents, parents, siblings, and friends takes time and energy. Being the support system to loved ones can be challenging at the best of times, but with the added fact that many of these people may be living alone, have a history of anxiety, or are experiencing financial strain may lead to conversations being more melancholic and feel like more of a chore. Those of us who work in helping professions (on the front lines or working from home) might feel the additional pressure to “support everyone around me”. Feeling like you are usually the resilient one can just add pressure to be “feeling ok” at these times, because we do not want to make it worse for those around us and those who depend on us for support. It can feel especially overwhelming when we tell ourselves that others have it “worse than we do”. Comparing our personal experience with the experiences of others can be invalidating. Still having a job, not being on the front lines, living with loved ones, or not having clinical anxiety does not mean that our experience with stress is not real or important. So what do we do about all of this? We need to validate ourselves and recognize that it is ok to be feeling multiple emotions at once. If we do not give ourselves permission to “not be ok” we just push ourselves deeper into isolation. We need to be open and communicative with our loved ones when being their emotional support is overwhelming our ability to support ourselves. Being aware of our limits and boundaries are important in any healthy relationship, but it becomes even more critical when we are feeling fragile and burnt out. Respecting your personal limits might mean checking in with our grandparents/sisters/friends/parents only once a week instead of once a day without added guilt for that decision. Alternatively, it might mean calling different people who make us feel better. It may also mean being honest with others when we are not ok and allowing the conversation to turn towards letting others support us. Speaking our own truths can feel liberating. Supporting ourselves and It may also mean allowing ourselves more self care time or indulgences. An Uber Eats meal and a bubble bath might not take away your anxiety, but it may bring you some comfort at a time when you could use some. Image used under Creative Commons license. CLICK HERE for the source.
Image: fatigue by hnt6581. See side panel for further copyright information.  Living with your partner, roommate or family members can be challenging on a normal day, but for many of us we have been cooped up with them, and only them, for several weeks now. The sudden change in our day-to-day environment might be perceived as added quality time for some, but it may also trigger frustration, spark arguments and feel suffocating for others. It is important to remind ourselves that it is ok to feel like we need a break from “quality time” and that it does not mean we do not love our housemates. Quarantine has come with stress of the world and anxiety about our health, so it is only natural for that to make us emotionally fragile in our relationships with loved ones when feeling like we have no escape. In times like these, it is important to speak openly with our cohabitors about creating new boundaries and guidelines for personal space. Having these conversations early and explicitly may feel awkward or confrontational, but it may be worth it in the name of peace in the home. Problem solving together as housemates may look like designating specific areas of the living space to be private vs. communal, or certain hours of the day to have allocated time to ourselves. This time can be spent practicing self care (e.g., going for a walk or taking some time to read) that may recharge your patience with that loved one. The important thing is that you discuss these needs for increased personal space with an honest but empathic tone that can lead to an open dialogue with your roommate where you can problem solve together. By ensuring that you have these discussions with compassion, you may be able to prevent added tension from brewing in the small living space. On the other end of the spectrum, many romantic relationships have recently had the added challenge of being separated during these times of quarantine. This may be due to their profession as a healthcare provider with the increased health risks or recent travel. Many may be feeling like they are now in a “long distance” relationship that they never signed up for. Being separated for multiple weeks from an intimate partner may change the dynamic and the way you are able to relate to each other. Perhaps as a couple you used to be very physically affectionate. Now phone calls and video calls add pressure to communicate intimacy, a very different expectation from your relationship norms. These times may invoke added expectations from a loved one to make the other person feel extra comforted and considered when distance does not allow for the love language of quality time. In these situations, it can become frustrating when one person expects the other partner to send flowers or an amazon delivery gift to make the other person feel cared for when in the past they had never had to think in this creative mode. I suggest being extra sensitive to the needs of your partner, communicate with clarity what you need and ask what they need at this time, and try your best to make a small gesture to show that you care, even if it is simply sending a cute e-card to show them that you are thinking of them. What creative solutions have you found for these problems? Let us know on our social posts today! Image used under Creative Commons license. CLICK HERE for the source.
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AuthorJessica is a member of the clinical wellness and learning support team at FLEX Psychology. Jessica started Wellness Wednesday out of a desire to provide further opportunities for her clients to extend their wellness journey to all avenues of their life. You can learn more about Jessica by clicking here or by learning more about her and the clinical team at FLEX Psychology by clicking here. Categories
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