Dealing With Boredom, Death, Depression and Anxiety During This Covid Virus

Let's face it, this pandemic has caused a lot of people to lock themselves in their homes for fear of catching this dreadful virus. Things you can do to relieve boredom are:

Spend some time cleaning. Whether you clean or reinvent your room, organizing some stuff can be one of the best ways to kill time.

Organize your kitchen and bathrooms. If you are like me some things will never change. I have a junk drawer that gets cleaned out when I can no longer shut the drawer. I have gotten better over time, but my bathroom cabinets were a mess. I have a huge closet in my bathroom that I keep for stocking up on things. It needed some attention. After I organized everything I truly felt accomplished.

Binge watch or marathon movies. I have an Amazon Fire Stick. It has been my saving grace through this pandemic. With Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu, you can never watch all of it. I spent countless days watching tv and binge watching tv. A little popcorn and a movie is a great thing to do especially on a rainy day.

Exercise your boredom away. You don't have to spend hours exercising but a few minutes won't hurt anyone. Think of all the crap you have eaten these last months and how many pounds you have gained. Get up off your buttocks and move to some grooving music.

Read a good book. I love to read and it has saved me most days. Curl up with a good book, your blanket and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and fall into the story that you are reading. Be one of the characters. Imagination never goes to waste.

Clean out your closet. There is no time like the present to get rid of all the clothes you don't wear anymore. If you haven't worn something in over a year, chuck it to the bucket of Goodwill. It makes room for more clothes.

If you honestly can't do anything to help with your boredom then take a nap to get away from yourself.

Death is never an easy thing for any of us. The loss of family members on a normal day is hard to deal with.

Many people have experienced guilt because their loved one died alone. Others feel guilty because they couldn't give the loved one a proper burial. I think everyone had grieved right along side of those who have lost someone.

When they showed hundreds of bodies being buried on Heart Island in New York, it just about killed me to watch it. Bodies of unclaimed people who were deceased. Truck loads of bodies being kept cold until the families can take them home to be buried.

I think we all have dealt with grief from this virus. I personally have not had any relative's or immediate family members die, but I have grieved for those who have. I think if you are not grieving through this pandemic then something would have to be wrong.

The limited interactions with others as we fight COVID-19 has disrupted and forever changed our lives. Tragically, our new normal impacts our ability to pay tribute to or say good-bye to loved ones who have passed away.

Grieving is difficult and one way we cope is by social connection, finding comfort in the embrace of close family members, friends, and others. We are now faced with social distancing with far more restrictions impacting the physical comfort we are used to. It is critical now more than ever it is critical to stay connected as we find new and different ways to support loved ones and be there for the family as we learn to adjust during these difficult times.

Typically when we lose a loved one, we can say goodbye which for many gives a sense of closure and is part of the first steps of healing. When we are not able to be physically present to say goodbye and grieve with other mourners, it can increase our sense of grief and loss.

You may have feelings of frustration, anger, and helplessness resulting in feelings of being disconnected that may prolong our grief and the healing process. Also, with the distancing measures in place we have restrictions related to funeral and memorial services that may add an increased feeling of deep pain that feels surreal.

Funeral Directors are doing everything possible to help as we adjust to living in a different world and finding new ways to cope. For example many Funeral Directors are now able to allow a limited number of people at a time to attend funerals, or they have live streaming and recording which brings people together. (Joy Through Joy}

Do not hold it in. That is the worst thing you can do to yourself. Let it out. Whether you cry, get angry or any way you need to grieve it is a must for all of us.

It is not surprising the amount of people who have become depressed and have anxiety during this pandemic. The fear of the unknown and how our lives have changed forever is enough to send us over the edge.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a new disease and what could happen can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as social distancing, can make people feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety. (Health Line 2020)

Stress during an infectious disease outbreak can sometimes cause the following:

• Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones, your financial situation or job, or loss of support services you rely on.
• Changes in sleep or eating patterns.
• Difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
• Worsening of chronic health problems.
• Worsening of mental health conditions.
• Increased use of tobacco, and/or alcohol and other substances. (CDC)

So how can we deal with depression and anxiety during this pandemic

• Please don’t socially isolate. While the necessity to physically distance will change the way socialization looks during this time, we can still take steps to connect with others. That could be via video call platforms or from a safe physical distance with appropriate safety precautions.
• Set a schedule for yourself and follow a daily routine.
• Schedule time each day to engage in a healthy, stress-relieving activity.
• Challenge yourself to find examples of positive, uplifting moments in your week.
• If constant exposure to information via social media or television becomes overwhelming, limit it to a set amount each day.

I have always suffered from depression and anxiety. My whole adult life has been turned upside down because the struggle is real. So now here I sit home except to go to work and I could care less about doing anything.

It has been the hardest thing I have had to do in my life. I work in a hospital so we are forced to be socially distant from our coworkers. I try to keep busy at home and I stopped watching the news. I had to because it just made me feel overwhelmed and anxious.

If you are finding it hard to cope, call your doctor immediately. Get your family involved if you live alone.

If you lost your job due to covid you are probably both depressed and have anxiety. Spend the day updating your resume and submit it to all places that are hiring. I know a lot of restaurant's are hiring now as well as stores like Walmart and Target and Amazon is hiring a lot of people right now because they don't have enough workers.

Don't sit around thinking a job is going to fall into your lap because it won't.

If you are really suffering from depression and anxiety, think about going on some medication until this passes. It doesn't mean you are crazy. There is nothing wrong with help from medication.

Also remember this won't last forever. It may take some time to eradicate this virus but we will overcome all the obstacles that we have faced. We are a strong nation trying to get by and we will.

There are people who will never follow the advice from the CDC during this crisis but it has to stop somewhere.

How do we stop the spread of the virus? Wash your hands frequently, use hand sanitizer after touch everything, stay home unless you need food or medication and wear a mask out in public. The most important thing you can do is not touch your face, rub your eyes, or get close to people.

We all like hugs. Don't do it. A fist bump or a foot bump is all you need right now. Hug your loved ones tight once this is over.

Everyone just comply with the CDC guidelines and you will be fine.