Self-Help Exercises for Dealing with COVID-19

Check out this online video that one of our staff Counselors, Jo Christian, LPC-MHSP, created. This 40 minute video will teach you:

• why we experience anxiety
• help you identify unhelpful thinking styles
• teach you how to combat them
• provide suggestions for self-care

Self-Care During Social Distancing

 

Created by Caroline Xiong, MTSU Community and Public Health Major

Here are some other tips to help you stay mentally & emotionally healthy while at the same time protecting everyone’s physical health through social distancing:

• Stay connected while social distancing. Call or message people. Try out Netflix Party or a multiplayer game. Remember, we are all in this together. Be sure you are having contact with another human on a daily basis. We love our pets, but we need human interaction too. Create a routine. This will be especially helpful for the remainder of the semester. Pick a time to wake up and get up, and then take a shower (another tip: maintain hygiene! We will all feel better…) Go on a daily walk, have a 2 pm cup of tea. Keep regular mealtimes and identify when you are going to be studying and when you are going to be playing.
• Play. Find ways to have fun. Find joy or humor every day. If you are struggling with being creative, you can cheat and watch a funny movie. Some of the late-night comedians have free “at home” versions of their shows on YouTube.
• Cut back on your media intake. This includes social media and news sources. You do not need to know about it the instant something happens. Identify when media intake is on your schedule and get updated only during that time. Also, please pay attention to the tone of your media intake. Some of our media outlets stroke anxiety and some of our media outlets are more calming and reassuring. Choose wisely.
• Exercise. Move that body. Try it. We promise you’ll feel a little better. If you’re not the exercising type, all good. Be creative. Go for a nature walk, ride a skateboard, make up new dance moves. Just move your body.
• Go outside. Weather permitting, this will be your best pick-me-up all day. Pay attention to your thinking patterns. If you’re not able to gain perspective or to find the positive, remember that MTSU Counseling Services is available and happy to help you out with that. Which brings me to the next tip….
• Know your resources and use them. Really, your MTSU community wants to wrap its big blue arms around you and support you. If you need help, ask someone. If you don’t know where to start, ask your favorite person to talk to on campus and they will direct you to the right person. And, we in Counseling Services are happy to help you navigate those resources too.
• Finally, practice kindness and patience. Information is changing daily and often we don’t know what is coming next - and that is okay. We are all in this together and we will make it through. Most of us are doing our work in brand new ways. Practice patience and kindness with your parents FaceTiming you and with your professor learning to use Zoom. Practice patience with a younger sibling who is finished with their schoolwork in two hours flat. Most importantly, practice kindness and patience with yourself.

Disclaimer:  Self-help apps are for educational and skill building purposes and are not a substitute for treatment of any mental/psychiatric disorders. For those who have been diagnosed or are being treated for a mental health condition, please consult with your health care professional to ensure these apps are appropriate for your treatment. Like all forms of online information, the content and quality of these apps may change over time. Free apps may include in-app purchases in order to use all available features. Further, please use discretion when using apps that ask for personal information.