Counseling Hoboken; Mollie Busino, LCSW, Director of Mindful Power. Mollie has had extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Therapy, and Mindfulness. Her work focuses on Anxiety, Depression, Anger Management, Career Changes, OCD, Relationship, Dating Challenges, Insomnia, & Postpartum Depression and Anxiety.
First, I hope everyone is hanging in okay with all that is swirling around us!
I wanted to share some tips for maintaining our mental health and energy:
- Establish a New Routine – wake up at the same time daily and get dressed as normal, establish a consistent sleep pattern, take regular meal breaks, set daily goals and intentions, etc. (posting this schedule can also be helpful)
- Prioritize Self Care – use exercise videos, meditate, journal, read, etc. (we are all under some major disruptions in our lives so it is important that we recognize the need to create the strongest and bravest versions of ourselves
- Screen Time Restrictions – seriously limit your internet scrolling and news gathering…schedule 15 mins early evening/late afternoon to quickly review
- Make at “Home Bucket List”- cook meals you have always wanted to, organize or feng-shui your home, create meditation area, start a self care routine you have wanted to do
- Stay in the Moment with Your Fears as Much as Possible – none of us are fortune tellers so resist the urge to try to predict what is going to occur in 2 weeks to 6 months from now
- Gratitude – take a moment each day and reflect on what you are valuing from this time…I know this is difficult but we need to recognize the strengths and values you and your family have
- Set Boundaries – this includes with your work (i.e., set a schedule), draining people (i.e., limit those around you that are feeding your anxiety)
- Take it All Day by Day…A LOT has changed, so plan on what you can control with what we know today for each moment
- Connect – Make time to connect with others via a call to a friend or with those that you live with…have this connection be more than just a convo about all that is happening
Please remember whatever goes up must come down – this is an analogy that I often provide for looking at panic attacks…the panic will peak, but once it does it will come back down…I am not certain what “this peak” is but this will not be our “normal” forever…