Feeling Out of Sorts | Coping with Coronavirus - 548

Routine Disruption

The pandemic has significantly disrupted personal and professional routines, leaving many feeling out of sorts. Chalene Johnson shares her experience of driving past closed gyms and empty roads, highlighting how the lack of structure affects our circadian rhythms and mood-regulating hormones 1. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing these disruptions and their impact on our mental health. Chalene notes, "When your mood is lower, it's going to have a negative impact on your mood. And when that happens, it's a downward cycle" 2.

   

Consistency Strategies

To combat the chaos, Chalene suggests focusing on what we can control, such as maintaining consistent bedtimes and wake times 3. She stresses that routines provide a sense of normalcy and freedom, even when everything else feels uncertain. Chalene advises creating new anchors for habits that have been disrupted, like stacking new routines onto existing ones, such as listening to a podcast while brushing your teeth 4.