Last week we looked at some ways to manage stress.  Many of us are experiencing unique stressors due to the changes that the Social and Physical Distancing Protocol has made to our lifestyles.

A daily routine can help to manage stress during this challenging time.

If your days feel unstructured, it’s easy to put off necessary tasks, stay up too late, forget meals or eat too much, and develop negative habits.

Develop a daily routine that meets your needs.

Tips for your Daily Routine

Set a bedtime and a wake-up time.  Keep it consistent from day to day.

When you get up, wash up and change your clothes.  Even if it is just to a different set of loungewear, this familiar morning ritual goes a long way towards postive self-care.

Schedule important tasks for the time of day when you are most alert. For many people, completing important tasks in the morning avoids the fear of “running out of time” later in the day or growing too tired to do a good job.

Are you are working from home?  Set boundaries between “work time”, “family time,” “personal time” and “chore time.”  People you live with should minimize interruptions during your work time.

There are two major temptations for people who are new to working from home.

Some people will be tempted to spend their work time doing housework or lounging.  Others will be tempted to work all the time.  They will need to make an effort to put down their phones and computers during other times of the day.  It’s important for them to also spend time with their families, look after their homes and practice self-care.  Neither of these two extremes are advisable.  A sustainable balance is healthiest in the long term.

Practice self-care

Eat regularly.  Meals or snacks every 3 hours help to regulate your blood sugar.  Choose healthy foods and reap the rewards of good nutrition.  Monitor your consumption of alcohol.

Don’t forget to schedule time for self-care.  It’s not “lazy” to do things that make you happy – in fact, it’s crucial for mental health.  Spend some time doing something you love.  Watch a funny movie, enjoy a hobby, or sit down with a good book.

Be kind to yourselves and others during this challenging time.