Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, this kind of isolation that we’re all facing right now is likely taking a toll on your mental health. Being distanced from your extended family, as well as close friends and coworkers, being out of a job temporarily, it can all leave you feeling unlike yourself. Here are a few tips to help you take care of your mental health while in isolation.

1) Organize Your Space: This may seem like a small task, but when you’re home 24/7, it’s easy for spaces to get cluttered and messy. When you’re surrounded by clutter, it tends to clutter your mind. Not only does organizing ease your mind, it also relieves stress. Give yourself the goal of organizing one area of your house each day. You’ll feel accomplished, even if it’s a small task, checking something off of your to-do list just feels good, and the space now doesn’t take up precious mental energy worrying about the clutter.

2) Seek Comfort from Others: It’s often really difficult to share when you’re struggling. For some, it’s the pride, for others it’s the stigma around mental health. You have to remember that everyone around you is dealing with likely similar feelings right now. You may actually help others if you’re open and honest about your feelings. Find yourself a few friends that you can confide in about what you’re struggling with. Seek them out regularly so you can find a bit of community, comfort, and peace. You can video chat, text, and enjoy each other’s company and input, even if it’s from a distance.

3) Get More Movement: While you may not have any at home weights or work out equipment, it’s still important for you to get as much movement as possible. It’s easy to get down and only want to move from the couch to the bed and the bed to the couch. However, getting a workout in can help with your stress levels and can release feel good hormones that can help boost your mood. There are free videos online if you’re looking for something you can do in your living room, go for a walk in your neighborhood, or get outside and start working in the garden.

4) Breathe: Most of us have a little extra time on our hands right now, so use yours to get into a routine of meditating and deep breathing. You may not have a schedule right now but approach each day as if you do, and put deep breathing on the list once or twice a day. It helps with your stress levels and gives you a moment to put everything into perspective.

5) Relax: Life is all about balance. Sometimes self-care is really about getting stuff done, and sometime it’s about relaxing and taking a rest. When you need to unwind, make sure you’re taking care of your mental health at the same time. Block off a period of time and do something you enjoy. Make sure to avoid movies or shows about anything that may trigger or worsen your anxiety.

6) Find a Telehealth Professional: We can throw around all kinds of simple ways to help manage stress and encourage good mental health, but sometimes professional help really is needed. If you’re struggling beyond just feeling a little blue, now may be the perfect opportunity to seek out a mental health professional. Telehealth options are widely available, even more so now, so take advantage and start getting the help you need, right from home.

7) Take it Moment by Moment: Nobody knows how long this is going to go on for, and thinking long term is likely to make you feel depressed and powerless. The only way to avoid this is literally, taking it a day, a week or even just an hour at a time. This is our new reality, but it’s not our forever reality. Focus on dealing with the next day, or whatever time feels manageable to you, and try not to think about the ifs, whens and maybes of how long this is going to last.

8) Shut Out the Contast Bad News: Everywhere seems to be drowning on COVID-19 related news and information at the moment, even your social media feeds will be full of it. Take time out from the constant stream of negativity and have social media days off, limit the time you spend reading/watching news. Turn off your phone’s news app notifications. The information we get, especially online, is often sensationalized. Much of the time it also focusses on the negatives. Decide on your own trusted sources and check in with them just a few times a day, for a few minutes. It’s also important to limit talking about the virus and any negative impacts or concerns in front of children. They may already be feeling unsettled by the things they see going on around them and their changes in routine, so keep COCID-19 related conversations out of their earshot. Kids soak up information like little sponges and they can get very frightened, picking up on your own fear.

9) Try to Notice the Positives, Good People, and Helpers: This is related to the last point – while the media focuses on what’s wrong with the world, take the time to notice the good people, the positive actions and the ways people are coming together – albeit not socially – to cope with the problems the virus has thrown up. There is a ton of stories around that showcase the ways people are helping each other, uplifting each other and more. Individuals are supporting their community, donating time and other things and coming up with a whole load of ways to get themselves and each other through these hard times. It’s so important to try and balance the heavy news reports with the optimistic and life-affirming information.

Life is already stressful enough. When you add in a pandemic and this kind of isolation, it can put those struggling with their mental health already, in an even more dangerous place. Make sure you’re taking care of you, however that looks. Use these tips to help.

Be kind to yourself and take care.