As we move into the one month mark of our safer at home order here in Wisconsin and social distancing guidelines remain in effect for the foreseeable future both here in Wisconsin and across the county, we find ourselves spending a significant more amount of time at home. So what unforeseen effects is this having on some?
More Anxious:
Feeling more anxious than usual? I know I am, and apparently I am not alone. Late last month, according to an ABC News poll approx. 77 percent of American women and 61 percent of men were reporting personal stress. Of those polled, nearly 69 percent were worried for both themselves and their close friends and family about becoming infected with Covid-19. The economy was also an anxiety enduring factor, with the majority feeling that the impact would be the same (or worse) as we saw in 2008.
Trouble Sleeping:
Increased anxiety can lead to sleep issues, such as insomnia. Jill Stoddard, a clinical psychologist and the director of the Center for Stress and Anxiety Management in San Diego explained how the sleep cycle can worsen with continued increases in anxiety: “People can experience a range of sleep problems when they’re anxious: difficulty falling asleep, middle-of-the-night awakenings with mind racing and ruminating, and having a hard time falling back asleep”.
Joshua Tal, a psychologist who practices in New York City and New Jersey, who specializes in sleep disorders explained in addition to stress and anxiety, changes in lifestyle, like dietary changes, later wake-up times, self-medicating with alcohol or medications, or eating meals at different times of day than normal could also lead to changes in sleep habits.
Issues With Focus
We as humans are designed to turn all attention to threats- so it’s no wonder with Covid-19 threatening our health and lifestyles we’ve become wrapped up in reading and watching news in attempt to gain as much knowledge to protect ourselves and our families.
The issue is for most, life hasn’t stopped just because we are home. Some are working remotely, homeschooling their kids, and even attending virtual or video meetings and events.
“The brain can do only so much. When our attention is absorbed by coronavirus, we will have a harder time concentrating on anything else we are trying to do in the moment,” Jonathan Abramowitz, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of North Carolina explained.
If you, like many, are struggling with keeping your focus, Amelia Aldao, clinical psychologist and founder of Together CBT in New York City recommends that starting each night by listing things that need to get done the next day, then rank them by importance, and schedule them. She also recommends giving yourself a brief break every 45 minutes to reset.
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Stay safe.
Sources:
https://www.today.com/health/why-am-i-having-vivid-dreams-coronavirus-having-impact-sleep-t177673
About the Author: Taylor Genter Taylor is the Marketing Specialist at Extract with experience in data analytics, graphic design, and both digital and social media marketing. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater. Taylor enjoys analyzing people’s behaviors and attitudes to find out what motivates them, and then curating better ways to communicate with them.