Tips From A Clinical Psychologist On Handling Stress During The Pandemic
Working from home has never been more stressful, knowing the shelter-in-place order can go on indefinitely. Communicating via Slack and Zoom meetings is the new normal, and this shift might be a source of anxiety for many.
For tips on overcoming the added stress resulting from the pandemic, I turned to Gary Foster, a clinical psychologist and the chief scientific officer at WW. He explained that when people experience stress, they turn to skip their routine activities, which doesn’t facilitate healthy coping. Research has shown that activity—even moving for a few minutes a day—can have significant health and wellness benefits. In fact, regular physical activity, even moderate-intensity, can help improve immune function and is linked to a lower risk of upper respiratory infections.
So if you feel more stressed these days, the first thing to do is sticking to a physical routine. Here are three ways you can maintain a regular level of physical activity in times of stress:
Develop a schedule. We’re currently experiencing a disruption in routine. Set a schedule for yourself and keep to it. Just like you would create an eating schedule, you should have a schedule to help you maintain your activity routine.
Avoid a threshold mentality. At first, work on maintaining a baseline level of physical exercise. The goal shouldn’t be to do 30 pushups a day, but to do at least a couple pushups a day. Remember that any and all movement is good and carries many health benefits.