Staying Stable and Motivated While Stuck At Home

Today I’m talking about how to stay motived and positive while you’re stuck at home. This is based on a viewer question from Kelly. She asked how should she deal with fluctuating mood and energy levels in this time of being quarantined at home? Here are some suggestions Set a routine each day to bring back some structure to you days. It doesn’t have to be the same set of activities, but you should aim for as regular a schedule as possible. Have a reserve list of activities that you will force yourself to do. We call this behavioral activation. Behavioral activation is a therapy used for depression to pull people out of the downward spiral of inactivity. Getting up and getting moving actually improves your mood. Even if the activity something small. Create a list of small, completable activities that you can fall back on when you feel low on motivation. Sometimes your mind can go blank when you start thinking about what you can do. So you want to have a list ready for those days. Plan to do at least 1-2 on the list to get you moving. Example activities Doing a jigsaw puzzle Do something self-care related like give yourself a pedicure Take a virtual tour of the Smithsonian online Explore the planets and constellations on the stellarium website or app. Do something good for someone else like tell someone you know how much they mean to you or call and check in on someone For more activity ideas, go to my website http://MarksPsychiatry.com/stay-motivated The idea is that you get moving doing something that gives your pleasure, as a way to keep active. Activity begets more activity. Mental activity like a virtual trip to the museum counts as activity. In this time of threat and fear, showing love or kindness to others is another way to give yourself a mental boost while making someone else feel good too. Want to know more about mental health and self-improvement? On this channel I discuss topics such as bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), relationships and personal development/self-improvement. I upload weekly. If you don’t want to miss a video, click here to subscribe. https://goo.gl/DFfT33 Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.

By: Dr. Tracey Marks
Title: Staying Stable and Motivated While Stuck At Home
Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykrWL0WnyGQ