Mental Wellness Go-To's from a Psychologist & Executive Coach
As we adapt to a new normal, it’s common to feel tired and frustrated at times. We spoke to Registered Psychologist and Executive Coach, CJ Charest, to learn more about her recommended tips and tricks for maintaining your sense of wellbeing during these challenging times.
“A sense of uncertainty along with loss of a daily routine can lead to the increase of symptoms of depression and anxiety,” CJ Charest says. She recommends focusing on small aspects of your life that you have control over to help manage stress and improve your sense of self confidence.
For example, Charest suggests focusing on engaging in self-care activities on a regular basis. The four main pillars of self-care are: nutrition, social (friends and family), sleep, and exercise. She compared self-care to the image of a table with four legs. Each leg represents one of these pillars of self-care. If all four legs are balanced, then we will feel a greater sense of well-being and be better able to cope with new challenges. The table can remain upright on three legs for a period of time, however, the table will fall down if it only has two. Just like the table, our sense of wellbeing will start to drastically decline if we are not attending to all areas of self-care.
Charest has a few tips to keep all four pillars strong and maintain a healthy balance:
Create a schedule
Get outside
Exercise
Limit screen time
Eat nutritious foods
Connect with friends and family online and by physical distancing
Stick to a consistent sleep schedule
Charest also recommends developing short and long term goals for yourself while at home, such as signing up for online courses, or working on a home improvement project.
Monetary loss could also be a significant stressor right now. Charest recommends making an appointment with your financial advisor to discuss your budget and financial options. When you understand more about what kinds of services and supports are available to you then you can plan for your future accordingly.
The past few months have been challenging for everyone in different ways. We are all adapting to a new normal and everyone is doing the best they can. Please reach out to a friend, loved one, or helpline if you’re struggling. Remember to take heart in the fact that we’re all in this together.
