Let me paint a picture for you. You’re sitting in your room, not quite sure what you are going to do next. Not quite sure if you have control over future events in these unstable times. Whether you are worried about the election or COVID, there is something that can help everyone get through these strange times. For me, my daily routine used to be something I took for granted.
Before COVID hit, my routine felt set in stone. I had set times to exercise, spend time with friends, go to church, and relax. When the pandemic hit, my stress levels skyrocketed. I was snappy with my parents, since I wasn’t thrilled that I couldn’t be with my friends. Even if I was completing my homework and getting all of my responsibilities done, my stress level still increased.
I attribute this rise in stress to a lack of routine. The exercise I did daily was no longer there. My time spent with friends was gone. Church, while it was technically meeting online, no longer felt as meaningful. The time I spent relaxing no longer felt relaxed, as I would incessantly wonder when life would return to some semblance of normal. We are long past this waiting phase. If COVID magically disappears it will be nothing short of a miracle, but this is wishful thinking. I don’t care what it would mean politically. Likely, physical distancing measures will be around until a vaccine has been tested and had time to spread throughout the population.
Our new normal needs to adjust to a physically distanced lifestyle since it is unclear when a vaccine will be widely available. If we don’t develop new routines, people could develop a variety of mental illnesses. In a study by Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services it was reported that suicide hotlines are recieving 47% more calls nationwide since COVID majorly impacted the US. Suicide is just the tip of the iceberg, and other hotlines are receiving more calls as well.
Ramon Solhkhah, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral health at Seton Hall University said, “Routines can create a positive level of stress that keeps us focused and may avoid some of the depression that many people may experience as a result of the COVID pandemic.” This may explain why I was stressed and still sometimes feel stressed in the midst of this pandemic. My routine wasn’t creating a ‘positive level of stress’, since I didn’t have one.
Routine can be something as simple as getting up at the same time each day, having a weekly time to play games with friends, or a daily time you eat a meal with people, socially distanced and six feet apart if you aren’t in the same household. These are simple things that, although COVID has made into more of a chore, are worthwhile rituals that will help you thrive in this new normal.
If you are considering self-harm or are experiencing impairing levels of fatigue, you should receive treatment from a professional. You can contact EMU counseling services by emailing counselingservices@emu.edu or calling 540-432-4317. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
