Making time to unwind is an important step in self-care

According to the American Psychological Association, society assigns a certain value to “powering through” a tough moment and skipping a break. A 2017 study proved that breaks are actually productive. Some participants were given a five minute break in the middle of a task while others were not. Those who were given the chance to pause and engage in another activity, remained far more focused on their work than the control group. It is important that the break you are taking involves a different kind of mental engagement from your job – according to an earlier study in 2012, those with desk jobs experienced less “job burnout” and “depression” if the breaks they took were physical and involved the outdoors, giving their analytical skills a rest and exercising different parts of the brain.^[1] Our technological developments have allowed us to receive information instantaneously; this means that now the news is often a live experience rather than collected information. While this is incredibly draining, our speedy sources have made it even clearer that ignoring the news is out of the question in order to remain safe and engaged. However, Kate Lynch Bieger, PhD of the Seleni Institute, highly recommends scheduling our engagement with the news. According to Bieger, if you already suffer from anxiety or if the current events bring up trauma, too much absorption with the news can be damaging. She suggests determining when during the day you would like to receive information, when you would like to discuss it, and when you absolutely do not want to spend time processing it.^[2] This kind of schedule provides security within oneself and an opportunity to prepare for information. Centre Daily recommends confirming that one’s media sources are credible so that time absorbing news is well spent.^[3] Centre Daily published an article specifically on managing mental health in quarantine and confirms that scheduling significant time to unwind is necessary and also a very personal experience. Finding a way to stay communally connected while centered in one’s own body is important when most of our lives are now dedicated to immense screen time. Although the phrase might seem overly simplistic, find personal joy. When stressed, make the effort to stay physiologically balanced by seeking content and activities that relieve anxiety; read a book outside, walk with a companion, develop a personal project. Lastly, Centre Daily recommends seeking help if the stressful effects of quarantine surpass what feels manageable. One can simply not care for others without maintaining their own health.^[3]