Eight Tips for Managing Mental Health in the Time of Coronavirus

How to stay informed without becoming too absorbed in the news? How to handle conflict during quarantine? How to spend newfound free time? 

This new phase of social distancing and remote learning presents many questions when it comes to caring for one’s mental health.

The RWU Counseling Center is here to help. 

The center is temporarily offering telemental health services, via video and phone sessions, for all who are eligible. While eligibility varies depending on students’ home states, the Counseling Center staff will provide referral options as needed. And the center  website is updated daily with resources and tips.

Counseling Center Director and Psychologist Christopher Bailey shares tips for dealing with some of the most common challenges right now:

1. Limit Media Consumption

Becoming absorbed in statistics and news about the coronavirus can have negative impacts on mood. 

“The numbers aren’t making people feel good. They’re making people feel worse,” Bailey says. “Try to establish some limits for yourself and maybe take a day off from reading the news.”

Bailey recommends replacing some of the negative news with more uplifting content. 

“We’re promoting things on Facebook and our website, like virtual museum tours, a kitten cam, and an aquarium cam,” Bailey says. “They’re all free. Consuming some of that stuff can make a dent in balancing out the negative news.”

2. Maintain or Establish a Routine 

“Go back to your Roger Williams routines,” Bailey said. “Get up for your classes as you normally would. Sleep as you normally would. Eat as you normally would. Exercise as you normally would. Realistically, it’s probably not going to be exactly the same, but the more you can make it like your behaviors on campus, the better, especially if those behaviors were more on the healthy side.”

3. Communicate with Those who Share Your Space

Have conversations with family members or housemates about who will be using which spaces. Let them know where you will be doing your work and when you will need quiet time, to try to head off any scheduling conflicts that may arise. 

4. Get Social Support

Depending on your family situation, you may lean on those within your house or find support elsewhere. Along with therapists, Bailey recommends you stay in contact with friends from Roger, professors, and people in your community that you can engage with virtually. 

5. Find or Rediscover Hobbies

Whether it’s grabbing your old guitar from the closet, or picking up your paintbrush, hobbies can give you a break from your phone or computer, and re-energize you. 

“Hobbies and artistic pursuits are really crucial in this situation, because we’re all indoors,” Bailey says “What kinds of things did you used to do when you were in high school that maybe you’ve lost a little bit? Can you return to some of those things that you really enjoyed, but just got caught up in other things? Blow the dust off and try it out again. It might really rejuvenate you.”

6. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Sleep is hard for many during this time. Bailey recommends having a ‘wind-down’ period before sleep. This means you stop doing homework, watching TV, or using your phone or computer a little while before bed. 

“In that period, you’re doing some light activity, nothing really engaging, something that doesn’t intellectually or emotionally stimulate you to a high degree” he says. 

You may do a crossword puzzle, read a light book, or do a relaxing craft project. This will help your brain prepare for sleep. 

7. Take Advantage of Resources

Many wonderful resources can be found on the Counseling Center’s website. They are also offering Zoom workshops twice a week, where they cover themes such as “Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep.” Once a week, they help facilitate a Wednesday Wellness Chat, alongside Health Services and Health Education, covering topics like nutrition, exercise, healthy practices, and mental health.

8. See a Therapist if Needed

If you’re having trouble finding a routine that works for you, or need additional support, you may seek individual counseling.

“That might be us, or that might be someone near your house,” Bailey says.

He recommends the websites Psychology Today and Zencare to find a therapist that suits your needs.