What’s helping you survive COVID induced stress?

[AmandaHugenkiss]

Apologies if there has already been a thread on this topic but I couldn’t find one.

It’s been an absolutely awful year, and tonight’s announcement has just made it worse. Personally I’ve been struggling to sleep with stress, and my usual coping mechanisms haven’t worked.

My boss (an amazingly supportive lady) has discussed mindfulness with me and showed me mindfulness jars which her children have been making at school with water and glitter. Amazingly, they help! I’m trying to use it between meetings at work. My jar has purple glitter in it. 😁

I’ve also discovered ASMR which I watch on YouTube to help me sleep. It’s been a god send. It helps me detach from everything whirling in my brain.

What are you doing that’s helping you cope? Yoga, walking, baking? Share your strategy with me please!

Vodka.
Locking myself in the bath away from these people I live with.
More vodka.

Gin and online shopping

Mindfulness too, I reminded myself earlier to "get in the now", never mind the thoughts of the possible future, right now I'm enjoying cheese on toast, we'll find out what the future holds when it comes along.

Also, music, and recently discovered Janey Godley's voiceovers of Nicola Sturgeon, and they crack me up.

I’d like to know the answer to this. Never felt so stressed in my life.

Alcohol.
Cream cakes.
Blind optimism and a refusal to accept facts that are staring me in the face.
Alcohol.
Burning hatred of Boris Johnson.

chocolate and lots of refined carbohydrates. It's just shit isn't it. Every so often I feel myself welling up at how bad everything is. I seem to switch between thinking I am doing ok and everything will be ok to feeling desperately sad that this has been going on for months and we are probably in it for a good few months yet. I have tried ot fast forward my mind to happier times but it's hard.

Wine
Sugar
But more than anything my dogs. Walking them. Getting outside every day. Seeing them play and be so happy. Makes me smile each day.

I hear the alcohol and hot baths. Have used both recently to good effect. I’m just wary as someone who had an issue with alcohol in her twenties that I don’t reform bad habits.

I know cream cakes are probably also a bad habit, but I am 100% on board with this strategy 😂

Yoga, journaling, connecting with friends online where possible (mostly talking rubbish), gin, dogwalking, hugs with kids, making sure I get time to myself!

Oh and cooking new meals and with my kids!

@FluffyMcWuffy

chocolate and lots of refined carbohydrates. It's just shit isn't it. Every so often I feel myself welling up at how bad everything is. I seem to switch between thinking I am doing ok and everything will be ok to feeling desperately sad that this has been going on for months and we are probably in it for a good few months yet. I have tried ot fast forward my mind to happier times but it's hard.

Your post resonates so much with me. I have days where I tell myself I’m fine, I’m coping, it’s all under control, then another day where I meltdown. I also find myself wishing my life away to a future point where this is done with.

My partner has been a rock, showing me what we have to enjoy right now even with all this shot going on. It’s just so hard ☹️

Bill and Oti made it better for a brief time....

Crafting - I find it is like active mindfulness

A list of projects (stuff around the house, baking, crafts, whatever) to work my way through

I started a business during the first lockdown and that has really helped me stay sane

Virtual coffee over Zoom with friends (no-one draining though!)

Good books to read until I fall asleep

Silly things like making Sunday nights 'Classic 80s & 90s Movie Nights'. We take turns to pick a movie each week and watch with popcorn, etc.

Beer
Chocolate
Christmassy tv

Jogging , reading, discovering silly things to watch such as a YouTube channel of Whitney from the hills (massive reality show from the 00s that was on mtv) rewatching it now with her husband and being very funny about it- remind me of being much younger watching it while babies were napping , podcasts , worrying about non Covid problems (possibly not a healthy distraction )
I do think tonight seems much worse because Christmas is such an emotional and stressful time anyway so trying to remind myself that it is quite normal and healthy to feel a lot shit.
Avoiding Twitter, not overdosing on news, avoiding doom threads on here

Not getting cold, so my heating is always on even low. I find myself a bit shaky today after going into tier 4 so keeping warm is really important.

I also find the book, the fox the boy and the mole helpful. There is an Insta page and Facebook.

Gin

4c’s

Chocolate, coffee, cats, comedy.

In no particular order:

Zumba (even though I'm rubbish at it)
Chocolate
Chatting to my mum, who needs me
Reading novels that are not depressing
Watching Netflix stuff as long as it is not depressing
Planning what I'm going to put in my garden next year
Feeding the birds in my garden and watching them feed
Getting out in the fresh air especially if it is sunny

Getting outside for walks every day, despite for weather.
Taking pleasure in small things
Massively lowering my expectations about what is going to happen next or thinking that this is all going to magically end on a certain date which will only lead to more disappointment. The reality is until vaccines are rolled out to a significant portion of the population we are going to have to live with this thing.
Not believing a word Boris Johnson says

Lots of wine and running. I never thought I’d say I actually like running. I can really recommnend couch to 5k programme- magic!

Antidepressants....

I've found walking really helpful. I've been working from home since March and it's tough going and my work is really busy but making time to get out each day is really helping.

I have an audible subscription so sometimes I have a book on. Sometimes I take the DCs and sometimes I go with a friend. I feel so much better being out in the fresh air.

Staying off here / the news and reading is good too but I find that harder to achieve.

Books
Book groups online and book talks etc (Try HayPlayer!)
Running
Out for walks with a takeaway coffee stop
Zoom chats
Family meals
Family TV/film nights
End of year gardening/ cutting back
Online gym classes
Fitbit challenges
Our elliptical trainer and mini gym
Some online courses (FutureLearn)