In just a few weeks, our lives have been radically altered. This can be overwhelming but there are a few things we can do to help ourselves get through it. So instead of asking what-if questions, ask yourself “what can I do for the time be­ing?”

Take the extra time to take care of your body.

Why not slow down and take a bath while you light a candle. Take time to make a healthy snack or try your hand at mak­ing a nourishing meal. And remember to get your eight hours of sleep a night. Taking care of your body can help with anxiety and keeps you healthy.

Do an activity to keep you busy and slightly distracted.

This could be anything from reading a book to drawing a picture or painting. You could learn how to knit or take up a new hobby. Keep your body moving and your mind off the news by doing a home workout via YouTube. You could bake your favourite dessert or learn to cook a recipe that you’ve been wanting to try.

Social distancing doesn’t have to be distant.

Try group FaceTime or Skype, or an old fashioned phone call. This is the best way to reach people that you can’t contact in person. It still brings the feeling of togetherness and satisfies our need as humans to socialize.

Meditate to help with your anxiety.

Meditation is a calm activity that can help us focus our feel­ings and calm our mind. There are plenty of ways to meditate so pick one that is right for you. The easiest is to either lay in bed or take a seat, close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply. There are also apps available such as Headspace and Calm.

Focus on what hasn’t changed.

List at least three things that have not changed in your life. By focusing on what is stay­ing the same, you can stay grounded and be able to keep your daily routines the same as much as you can.

List the times when you han­dled the unknown.

Not knowing what is going to happen or how long this will continue can cause a lot of fear. Keep in mind that there have been other situations in which you felt afraid or where there was an unknown outcome but you made it through. You will make it through this, too.

Set a limit on your social media time.

Scrolling through Twitter and other platforms for more time than usual can lead you to feeling overwhelmed, especially when your feeds are filled with news and emergency alerts. To avoid feeling anxious, set a limit on your time on social media.

Know you are not alone.

As High School Musical would say, “We’re all in this together.” And quite literally, everyone in the world is in a similar situation. We all need to stick together — even if we physically can’t be together — and make sure we look out for each other.

This op-ed was written by a University of Saskatchewan undergraduate student and reflects the views and opinions of the writer. If you would like to write a rebuttal, please email opinions@thesheaf.com.

—

Emma Raichuk

Graphic: Shawna Langer/ Graphics Editor