If you have felt more stressed, anxious, depressed, or isolated these last few months, you are not alone! Within the mental healthcare community we have seen more and more people struggling to cope with these uncertain and stressful times. We are inherently social creatures and being in isolation only aggravates any tendencies towards depression, anxiety, and stress. So what can you do to support yourself during COVID-19?

I like to think of a scale or balance with one side labeled as stressors (financial hardship, relationship conflicts, politics, work, etc) and the other side labeled as protective factors. These protective factors are things that help you feel connected, balanced, and alive. Protective factors can be people, such as a friend or family member, an activity (such as hiking), or a lifestyle decision (such as eating breakfast or getting 8 hours of sleep). Taking time to sit down and make a list of what people and things help you feel more resilient can be a great place to start. Then you can strategize about how to incorporate more of those protective factors into your life each day. Sometimes we can’t necessarily decrease the stressors in our lives, but we can usually increase the protective factors and self-care to help keep the scales balanced.

Feel free to comment below on what your “protective factors” are and how you incorporate them in your daily life. For example, I love to play tennis so I get up early a couple mornings a week to play before work. I would love to hear how you are taking care of yourself and re-filling your tank during COVID-19!