Adjusting to the Culture Shock of Social Distancing
How to Adjust to and Thrive in Our New Normal
March 23, 2020
Social Distance Saves Lives
If social distancing is taking its toll on your mental wellness—you are not alone, says David Stern, M.D., co-director of the Office of Student Mental Health and Wellness and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. “Understand this is a new and unique situation that will take some adjustment. Cut yourself some slack and realize you will be unproductive and anxious initially but with mindfulness and creativity, we can adjust to this new normal,” he says.
Dr. Stern suggests:
- Be concrete and think of all the things you can do to prepare your environment and be safe. Think about the basics: food, shelter, money, etc.
- Make a new schedule for yourself. Structure can help with the transition, making this new way of living easier. Think about best times of the day to study, exercise, socialize, eat and relax.
- Be flexible and open to change with respect to how you do things. This is uncharted territory for you.
- Reach out to friends and family and set times to connect by phone or video. Have fun and be creative.
Apps
- Calm app
- During this time, Calm has made the following Mental and Emotional Wellness Tools available for free on their Mental and Emotional Wellness Tools page
- Tools include Soothing Meditations, Sleep Meditations, Sleep Stories, Calm Music, Calm Body, Calm Masterclass, Calm Kids, Mindfulness Resources, and Practices to Find Ease.
- Find more options on your NYMC Resource Page
Podcast
- Tips on how to stay well during this public health crisis – Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
Free Interactive Mindfulness Workshop
- Virtual Hammer Museum Drop-In Meditation
- Held every Thursday from 12:30-1:00 p.m. PST
- Join online: https://zoom.us/j/695005693
- To join by phone, find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/aVSs1GPAm
Meditation Resources
- Coronavirus Sanity Guide – Ten Percent Happier
- Lifestyle Wellness Toolbox - Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
- Free Guided Meditations– UCLA Health
- Find more options on your NYMC Resource Page
Fun Ways to Take a Break
Museum Tours
- Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch (Video) – Travel and Leisure
- Google Arts and Culture teamed up with more than 500 museums/galleries around the world to bring everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world.
- Tour everything from Boston's Children's Museum to The Louvre in France.
- New York’s Metropolitan Opera House will also stream a program every night through March 31. Find the schedule here.
Stream a Broadway Show
Keep Watch on a Zoo or Aquarium
- The Smithsonian's National Zoo has webcams on their pandas, lions, and elephants.
- The Georgia Aquarium lets you watch their beluga whales, penguins, and piranhas.
Ways to Stay Socially Connected
- Netflix Party
- Chat with your friends while watching the same movie at the same time.
- Houseparty
- Have a group video chat with friends.
- Online Support Group – Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
- Reach out to others
- This period of social distancing can seem isolating and lonesome at times. Luckily, we already live in a virtual world. Reach out to friends and family.
- Ways to help with social distancing:
- Google hangout yoga sessions with fellow yogi’s
- FaceTime for coffee breaks
- FaceTime just to see faces you need to see on a regular basis,
Articles
Disclosure: We encourage you to stay informed, however, please know your limits. Over-consumption of information is detrimental to our mental health.
COVID-19 Specific Information
- Five Ways to View Coverage of the Coronavirus – American Psychological Association
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Mental Health, Stress and Anxiety Related to COVID-19:
- What to Do If the Coronavirus Health Guidelines Are Triggering Your Anxiety or OCD – The Mighty
- Speaking of Psychology: Coronavirus Anxiety – American Psychological Association
- Tips to manage stress & worries – The Jed Foundation
- 7 science-based strategies to cope with coronavirus anxiety – The Conversation
- Expert Offers Practical Advice to Manage Your Coronavirus Anxiety – UVAToday
- Coping with Stress – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Taking Care of your Emotional Health – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Coronavirus and Mental Health: Taking Care of Ourselves During Infectious Disease Outbreaks – American Psychiatric Association (APA)
- Preparing for a Mental Health Crisis - Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
- Find more options on your NYMC Resource Page