Managing Stress During Isolation
Written by Ruthelle Jane
The past few weeks have been rather stressful, to say the least. And while normally you could just destress by spending some time with your friends or loved ones, this just isn’t quite possible, and you’re forced to deal with this by yourself for now. Now, this could prove troublesome since researchers from Duke University have found that social interactions are key for one’s mental and physical health. However, all is not lost. To help you deal with this, we’ve put together some tips that can help you manage stress during this time of isolation. Read on to know more about what you can do to properly handle your stress!
Get Enough Sleep
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Source: Pexel
One thing that you may want to reexamine if you’re ever feeling overwhelmed due to stress is if whether or not you’re getting enough sleep. It may seem simplistic at first, but sleep plays a pretty significant role in how your body responds to emotional and physical exhaustion. In fact, researchers from the University of California – Berkley have found that sleep deprivation greatly affects your stress levels. So much so that a sleepless night can increase your emotional stress levels by up to 30%.
One easy workaround is making a conscious effort to sleep better. Track your sleeping patterns to better observe where you can make changes to improve them and get better sleep. A good rule of thumb would be to try and get at least 7-8 hours of sleep daily.
Take A Quick Breather
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But what if you’re getting enough sleep but are still feeling rather stressed? Well, this may then have something to with the amount of work you do on a daily basis. You may very well be overexerting yourself at work, leading to copious amounts of stress.
So how do you work around this seeing as, sometimes, one’s workload is simply non-negotiable? In an article discussing stress, Health experts from Pain Free Working highlight how taking a couple of minutes to just breathe and calm your mind can do a lot to improve your mood and calm your nerves. This makes sense, as we often get a sense of relief after taking a deep breath. Quartz details how taking slow deep breaths can help pace your breathing, which is a great way to curb one’s stress and anxiety.
Socialize with Friends
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Source: Pexels
Lastly, we’ve mentioned how human beings require a certain amount of social interactions to thrive both physically and emotionally. It would then make sense that engaging in a healthy amount of socialization will curb stress and help you relax.
CNBC explains that socializing outside of work settings does a great deal in reducing one’s stress levels. Be sure to schedule regular calls with your friends and loved ones. Go the extra mile and organize quiz nights or movie nights and you’ll surely see its effects on your psyche in no time.
While you’re here, check out our piece on “Four Basic Things People Get Wrong About Mental Illness and Addiction” to learn more about the interworkings of the human brain.