For us all going into isolation our lives are hugely disrupted. We will need to find new ways of living, doing and being in order to THRIVE. Here are a few tried and true strategies that Occupational Therapists can be known to share…
Have a normal routine, with normal bedtimes and wake-times. A weekly planner, printed off and filled in may be useful.
Establish regular times during the day for different activities. Ie:
- Exercise
- Connecting with others
- Doing work (paid, housework, garden work etc) and school
- Playing games, being on technology
Set small, achievable goals for each day which include a balance of different activities (productive, leisure and self-care).
Make weekends different from weekdays.
Apply the 5 Ways to Wellbeing each day (mentalhealth.org.nz)
- Connect
- Learn
- Give
- Move
- Take notice
Set some Covid-19-free times throughout the day where you turn off the radio, TV and step away from technology and allow yourself to stop thinking or talking about the pandemic. Make a list of the possibilities to keep handy for when you are stuck for something to do.
Use this time as an opportunity for growth and development. Eg:
- Learn some new skills
- Build or enhance relationships
- Embrace an aspect of technology
- Make a list of your own
Stay calm, learn to relax, find out about anxiety and how to manage it in a way that works for you.
Look out for others, be kind to each other AND be kind to yourself too.
You can print these tips off as a one-pager to pin up or give away here. Tips for Coping during Isolation Period.
To find out about how we can support you contact us.
Love the simplicity of maintaining weekdays and weekend days. Thank you ❤️
Great advice Catherine, I’ve found it helpful to have a weekly planner on the kitchen wall. I was thinking yesterday that weekends now probably won’t have as much of the release function that they usually have after 5 days of the workaday world, so you’re right, it’ll be good to plan some special activities for the weekend.
Thanks so much for creating this great resource. Sometimes you need to see it written in black and white to enact what I know I should, so thank you.
Thanks Lou and Catherine. Great advice for everyone. I especially like the advice to make the weekends different to the weekdays. Good to remember! Take care.
Great suggestions ladies – thanks for sharing these. I’ll pass them on to my patients as well as the whanau here. So far we’ve had a great adventure up onto the Port Hills today – with morning tea picnic – out of reach of the blizzard that came through! I hope you two can enjoy a little down time away from the rigours of daily life for a while 🙂
Thanks heaps for this – a hugely useful resource, which I have shared with a couple of others … now I just need to apply it myself!