The 5 Ways I'm Coping with COVID

Most of us have been self-quarantining or sheltered in place for three—going on four—weeks now. In the beginning, I wasn’t worried and tried to handle the situation gracefully. I kept busy, started jogging again, and spent long, lazy days in bed with my boyfriend. By the end of the third week, however, I was starting to feel much more desiccated.

Then, Governor Gregg Abbot announced that all Texas schools would remain closed until May 4th, and I thought “Oh shit. How am I going to survive another full month of this?”

I spent the weekend moping around my house, “Avril Lavigne-ing” as one man called it. But my reaction is actually pretty normal. Few of us have ever experienced isolation to this degree for this long. Consequently, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a list of things we can do to support ourselves during this time, including finding practical ways to cope and relax.

So, here’s a list of the five things keeping me sane during quarantine:

Reading
It should come as no surprise that reading is my first line of defense when it comes to keeping calm. Reading has always served as a way to escape from reality and travel to new places, even whole new worlds.

Studies have also shown that reading can help relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety. I’m currently reading The Color Purple by Alice Walker, with plans to begin Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon shortly thereafter.

Jigsaw Puzzles
I downloaded the Jigsaw Puzzles app by Easybrain which offers hundreds of beautiful, high-quality puzzles in dozens of categories in as few as nine or as many as 400 pieces.

Puzzles (of all sorts) have been shown to help with relaxation as well as memory. And if you aren’t into pictures or jigsaws, you could try other types of puzzles like Sudoku, Numbrix, mazes, Puzzle IO, word finds, crosswords, coloring, or drawing patterns.

Booze
Alcohol, like Xanax, is a central nervous system depressant that slows down brain functioning and neural activity. Using drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism is actually something that the SAMHSA and the CDC warn against.

Still, I don’t know that I could make it through this quarantine without wine and, based on what I’ve seen on the internets, I’m not alone.

I generally consume a single glass of wine per day during the workweek and 2-3 glasses of wine on the weekends. According to the CDC, this still qualifies as “heavy drinking”—consuming 8 or more drinks per week for a woman or 15 or more drinks per week for a man. My advice? Know yourself. Know your limit and recognize if you have a problem. If you or a loved one are experiencing issues with substance abuse visit findtreatment.gov or dial 1-800-662-HELP.

Getting Outside
Despite the assertions of many internet memes, actual outside isn’t canceled. It’s still okay to enjoy the great outdoors so long as you keep a safe distance from other people: stand 6 feet or more away from others; don’t attend group gathering (so no picnics or soccer matches); walk, run or exercise in sparsely populated locations.

Personally, I’ve been spending a lot of time on my patio, especially on days when the weather is nice. I’ll walk or jog around my apartment complex, either by myself (jogging) or with my boyfriend (walking). I rarely see other people as I’m making my lap(s), and if I do, I just keep a safe distance.

Spending time outside has been shown to relieve stress, improve concentration, and improve overall mental health.

Family/Community
Last but most certainly not least, my family is helping me cope with this self-quarantine. Even though we’re all spread out—my mom lives in East Texas, my Dad and brother live in Louisiana, and my Nana lives in Tyler—we talk and Facetime when we can, sometimes for hours.

I’ve also been able to interact with my line sisters via zoom. And, of course, there is the almighty power of social media to unite. Various entities have used this time to host interactive jam sessions, happy hours, exercise classes, seminars, and bible studies on Instagram, Facebook live, Zoom, and YouTube.

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Whatever your preferred methods, it’s important that we all find healthy ways to cope as we weather this pandemic. This virus has managed to touch and change and affect us all; whole countries and economies, mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers, those who are well, and those who are ill. Therefore, it is imperative that we practice self-care, monitor our emotions, and stay safe during this unprecedented time in our history.