{"id":110339,"date":"2020-06-17T16:14:08","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T21:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/?p=110339"},"modified":"2020-08-27T14:23:06","modified_gmt":"2020-08-27T19:23:06","slug":"mental-health-tips-combating-the-psychological-toll-of-staying-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/psychology\/mental-health-tips-combating-the-psychological-toll-of-staying-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental health tips: combating the psychological toll of staying at home"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"clearfix\"><p>By now, most of us have been staying at home\u2014at least far more than before the coronavirus outbreak\u2014for quite some time. Although we\u2019ve globally made efforts to normalize our current way of living, this doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s without new challenges or discoveries.<\/p>\n<p>At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Chicago School of Professional Psychology<\/a>, mental wellness is always top of mind. We understand how this moment in history might be challenging to you in more ways than one and hope to help ease this by serving as a resource. Read on to learn more about the psychological impacts of staying home and for solutions on how to combat these challenges.<\/p>\n<h3>Why is it so hard to stay at home?<\/h3>\n<p>Likely, there\u2019s been a time in your life when you longed to enjoy the luxuries of staying at home. Now, however, you might be feeling the total opposite, wishing you were able to go through your old morning routine and commute.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/get-out-your-mind\/202004\/the-five-challenges-staying-home#:~:text=Research%20on%20orphans%20has%20famously,physical%20distance%2C%20not%20social%20distance.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Psychology Today<\/a> suggests this shift is can be attributed to the requirement of having to stay at home rather than a personal choice. With stay-at-home orders come the feeling of being forced as well as restlessness. You might not feel motivated to get dressed in the morning or fulfill the normal routine that gets you ready for the day.<\/p>\n<p>More negative factors associated with staying at home include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-cope-with-loneliness-during-coronavirus-4799661\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Isolation<\/strong><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> Whether you live alone or have had to quarantine alone (perhaps due to exposure or to avoid risk factors), your access to others, like loved ones, has likely been reduced massively. Feeling isolated isn\u2019t just about being around others. It can include feeling disconnected from the world too. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lifeline.org.au\/get-help\/topics\/loneliness-isolation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">This feeling can contribute<\/a> to sleep issues, low energy, negative feelings, and can even manifest in physical symptoms.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solutions:<\/strong> Although staying at home is precisely what\u2019s keeping you from seeing the people who are most important to your life, consider expanding <em>how<\/em> you communicate with others. Try writing a letter or sending a postcard, calling people over the phone, video conferencing, or connecting with people who share your interests in online forums.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/working-from-home-tips#tips-for-newbies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Time management<\/strong><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Problem: <\/strong>For some, the greatest change to their day-to-day workflow is that everything is now happening at home. This includes work, child care, exercise, meal preparation, and more. With so much to manage in one place, you might be feeling stretched thin, stressed, or overwhelmed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solutions:<\/strong> Since your home is now housing all the different aspects of your life, it might help to create the same distinctions in your home. For example, instead of having your desk in your bedroom, if possible, consider separating the two spaces so that one area is designated for sleep and the other for work. Crossing these boundaries can make it easy to continue working past 10 p.m. or to start work an hour later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You might also find it helpful to create a more defined schedule that delineates when each part of your life begins and ends. Being able to enter and exit establishments created finite starts and finishes to each part of your life. Creating a schedule that you can stick to can help mimic this structure.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/get-out-your-mind\/201912\/how-find-your-life-purpose\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Feeling confused about your life\u2019s path<\/a><\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Problem:<\/strong> The current health crisis has created a significant paradigm shift for many. If you\u2019re asking yourself big life questions or considering the possibility of changing career paths, getting married, having kids, buying a home, etc., you\u2019re not alone.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solutions:<\/strong> Making big life changes can sometimes be indicative of searching for purpose or a sense of direction. This is a great time to revisit your values and figure out which are most salient to your identity. Based on what you\u2019re finding is most important, use this information to set goals and anchor your decisions on how you\u2019d like for your life to change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This period in our lives is a challenging one. To help you find relevant information, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/for-our-wellness\/covid-19-resources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">we\u2019ve created a list<\/a> containing updates on the current global pandemic and resources for how to deal with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, or other issues associated with the current health crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, if you\u2019re facing psychological impacts, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/therapists\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">consider reaching out to a therapist or counselor<\/a>. There\u2019s no shame in asking for help and utilizing resources who are experts in their fields to supplement improving your mental wellness.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Ready to begin your career in mental health and wellness through an online program? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/learn\/online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Choose the Chicago School of Professional Psychology to start your online journey today!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Our award-winning, digital magazine, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">{INSIGHT}<\/a>, is your guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the latest in health care, psychology, career development, and more!<\/a> Check it out today.<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While many of us have made efforts to normalize this new way of living, we still face challenges. Learn tips to combat the conundrum of staying at home. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":110342,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[113],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1073],"class_list":["post-110339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mental health tips: combating the psychological toll of staying at home - Insight Digital Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While many of us have made efforts to normalize this new way of living, we still face challenges. Learn tips to combat the conundrum of staying at home.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/psychology\/mental-health-tips-combating-the-psychological-toll-of-staying-at-home\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mental health tips: combating the psychological toll of staying at home - Insight Digital Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While many of us have made efforts to normalize this new way of living, we still face challenges. 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