Whew…what a whirlwind the last two weeks have been. I think I’ve read and heard the word “unprecedented” more in the last few days than in my entire life up to this point. We are all experiencing big changes and preparing for scary possibilities that seem to be growing more probable with each day. Worries abound, and maintaining some sort of normalcy right now is a real challenge.

A few of the daily habits I established at the start of this year are serving me well in recent days. Managing my mind has been particularly important — it’s easy to get caught up in the panic, read too many news articles, let nearly every conversation center on the virus and the economy, and lose focus on the tasks before me. To counteract these tendencies and combat anxiety, I’ve been doing the following:

1. Daily walks. I take a lunch break every day and get outside for some fresh air and physical activity. I listen to an audio book to take my mind off current events for a while. Although my local library is closed, I have access to numerous books through the Libby app.
2. Daily meditation. I used to practice mindfulness meditation, but meditating in silence has been tough for me lately. My monkey mind has been particularly hard to observe and tame. I’ve taken up listening to guided meditations instead, and sometimes I listen to affirmations or self-hypnosis tracks on YouTube. I usually do this before bed. Filling my mind with positive messages is helpful.
3. Bedtime gratitude practice. When I lay down to sleep each night, I mentally list specific things for which I’m grateful. Focusing on the positive at the end of the day means I virtually never have trouble falling asleep.
4. Group texts, phone calls, and video chats. Social distancing is hard. We are social people — even the introverts among us — and not being able to see our friends or attend events can leave us feeling really lonely. I’m trying to maintain social connection as best I can by checking in with my friends and family often. Historically, I haven’t often done video calls, but seeing people’s faces is comforting now.
5. Consuming non-news media. Though I definitely read more news articles than I probably should right now, I don’t watch TV news. I started a new series on Hulu and have been watching past episodes of SNL that I missed when they originally aired. When I feel like I’m spending too much time scrolling through social media, I pick up one of the books I’ve been meaning to read for ages.
6. Tidying up and doing yard work. I’m spending a lot more time at home now, so I’m paying more attention to my physical environment. Clutter makes me feel stressed. My garden is full of weeds right now thanks to all the rain we’ve had recently, and there are plenty of spring clean-up tasks to do in the yard. It’s satisfying to spend some time organizing indoors or weeding a flower bed — I like seeing the fruits of my labor and I appreciate the physicality of the task. It also helps me to feel productive at a time when it’s easy to succumb to boredom and restlessness.

What is helping you get through this bizarre, unsettling time? Please share your coping mechanisms below.

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