What are you doing to ease your mind/self care right now?

[glassgirlw]

I’m working on my quilting more, finding happy lighthearted shows to watch on YouTube and Netflix, and really trying my best to limit my news intake. That’s the hard one.

[Panicattacka]

Limiting the news is essential for stable mental health..We all know what is happening but we need to keep our own lives on track away from all the facts and figures, predictions and media exploitation of an audience desperate for reassurance and information from any source...and many "experts" are wheeled out from their ivory towers!

This times a thousand. I've reduced my news watching and reading 95% for weeks now. I would advise against obsessively following Covid news and stats 24/7 – it really isn’t good for anxiety levels and ultimately mental health. Maybe limit yourself to checking the news briefly in the morning and then that’s it. If anything really important happens in your neighbourhood, trust me, you’ll know about it anyway.

Not to sound cold-hearted, but I don’t need to know in real time that someone in Argentina, Denmark, Indonesia, etc. has just died or some "celeb" has just tested positive. It's just too much noise and it's bad for you.

[raspberry22]

I've been trying to get back to old hobbies that lay around the house forgotten, Netflix, and trying to read when my brain lets me.

Really trying to limit news and social media intake but it's hard sometimes especially with social media where you can just keep scrolling and scrolling and scrolling.

I didn't do very well last night due to the PM update at 8.30pm, ended up on Facebook just scrolling and then felt pretty depressed and anxious.

But today is a new day so I'm going to try and keep busy.

[BlueIris]

I've been trying out being a workaholic, but it's becoming increasingly obvious to me that this is unhealthy in and of itself. Today I'm planning on taking things a little easier, though, and allowing myself the time to process what's happening.

Desperately afraid of going into work on Friday; I'm normally pretty laid-back about this stuff but I'm fighting the urge to buy a respirator mask because I know there'll be people who need it more.

[pulisa]

Do these masks work anyway? I think you are doing the right thing by trying to hold off buying one. There are a lot of unscrupulous traders out there trying to flog them at high prices, I'm sure.

[BlueIris]

Thanks. I've been so good lately but I had an absolute killer of a panic attack hit this morning, and I have to talk somebody through some quite complex tech stuff over the phone within the next half hour or so.

Sorry for threadjacking, all.

[pulisa]

You can do it because you will focus on explaining the tricky bits and need to block out all the background mental chatter. Get your head as clear as you can and remember that you are an expert in your field and are helping someone else..You can do it!

[Scass]

I bought a new book about beating anxiety and panic attacks!

You can do it Blue x

[ErinKC]

We are trying to get outside every day that it's not raining. We put our folding chairs in the sunny front yard and chat with passing neighbors (from at least 6 feet away!). I'm reading Harry Potter to my 5 year old and she's loving it. Today I sent my husband and daughter on a driving scavenger hunt (so I could be alone for an hour!). I made a list of things to find and they had to drive around to locate all of them. We're also doing a lot of art.

Oh and video chats with friends! Today I talked with three of my old coworkers, two of whom I haven't seen or talked to in a few years! And, my daughter facetimed with her best friend. I'm starting to think about all the times I've said, "we should get together soon!" and never did. I hope to change that once this is over and see the people I care about more often!

[Lolalee1]

Trying not to watch the news,it seems to be 24/7.
Stuck inside I am going crazy