How do you deal with anxiety, loneliness etc?

If you are isolated, try to create healthy and easy habits.

Some depends on your situation (relationship, age, work, etc..), but you can for example try :
- Daily walk to freshen up, just walk X minutes on your streets (if permitted of course) or elsewhere, but just go outside and breathe some fresh air
- Try to exercice in any way possible. Don't start day 1 a "Ultimate abs workout challenge" or hard stuff that will go in the bin after 2 days. Maybe try some 10min noob stretching or meditation and put it in your morning routine. Or do 10 pushups before going to bed. Anyway, the point is, not too hard, not too long, it needs to stick!
- Before going to bed, put a goal on your next day. Goals such as "doing my new habit", or "cleaning this room", or "studying poker for 1h", something to feel grateful for at the end of the day
- Pick up juggling (it's really cool ;-) )
- Phone or message 1 friend or family member a day, asking them how they are doing, nothing precise, just make contact for a few minutes
- Etc ..

The general idea is to structure your days. If you just wake up and do nothing, waiting for the next day to come, you'll feel miserable very quickly. But if you organize your day (even with meaningless tasks like "i'll go further in this video game that i let down for 2 hours tomorrow), you'll feel way better at the end of the day because you had a plan and you did it.

Extratip : Create a small habit journal and put it next to your bed. Complete it before going to bed to realize what you've done today, and be happy about it. You can even put a number from 0 to 10 reflecting your mood of the day

Source : I've been isolated for most of the year for multiple reasons

We actually don't have a shortage of doctors and nurses in Canada -- we have a shortage of hospital space.
(I suppose that amounts to the same thing in the end)

We do have a shortage of doctors due to the fact that doctors from foreign countries have a very difficult path to take to certification to practice here.

I fixed the video link -- thanks for that.
I'll check it later.
The Yoga one I'll have a look at too.
I'm not nearly so flexible these days though...

I got over the fear stage of the virus itself back in March/April. It's more the state of the world itself that causes latent pressure. Things are a bit calmer than they were in the summer where the world was starting to look a lot like the intro montage to a shitty dystopian flick, but I'm studying in the UK and despite the various fluctuations in the rules the pandemic/lockdown has changed the way everything feels. I can't take my girlfriend out for a nice meal, or we can't go to a bar and then go drunkenly dancing at a nightclub. I can't even play tabletop anymore. We just have to remain indoors and do the same thing, day in, day out. I don't fear the virus, the but the world it's created is mentally taxing.

Right now I'm focusing on my short-term responsibilities. Finishing my degree within the next half a year (weird to type that out), and with the vaccine just now rolling out I keep my morale above the water level by thinking about how when I'm free of studying and graduated, the world will likely be in a better place and we can be free again.

Originally posted by Mambalante
I got over the fear stage of the virus itself back in March/April. It's more the state of the world itself that causes latent pressure.

I don't think "fear" or "anxiety" characterize my thoughts and feelings. However since I am over 60 (well over) and have "underlying health concerns" I'm in a high risk group.

I've done several high-risk things in my time -- mountain climbing, skydiving and skiing for example. Oh yeah, driving a car on a highway counts too.
In all of those I was never fearful or anxious, but recognized the risks, and took the necessary precautions.

Same with COVID -- there are risks, but there a steps to take to mitigate the risks, so I will take those steps and carry on.

...wishing you the very best for a peaceful, prosperous 2021,
VS

Originally posted by Furlisht
If you are isolated, try to create healthy and easy habits.

Some depends on your situation (relationship, age, work, etc..), but you can for example try :
- Daily walk to freshen up, just walk X minutes on your streets (if permitted of course) or elsewhere, but just go outside and breathe some fresh air
- Try to exercice in any way possible. Don't start day 1 a "Ultimate abs workout challenge" or hard stuff that will go in the bin after 2 days. Maybe try some 10min noob stretching or meditation and put it in your morning routine. Or do 10 pushups before going to bed. Anyway, the point is, not too hard, not too long, it needs to stick!
- Before going to bed, put a goal on your next day. Goals such as "doing my new habit", or "cleaning this room", or "studying poker for 1h", something to feel grateful for at the end of the day
- Pick up juggling (it's really cool ;-) )
- Phone or message 1 friend or family member a day, asking them how they are doing, nothing precise, just make contact for a few minutes
- Etc ..

The general idea is to structure your days. If you just wake up and do nothing, waiting for the next day to come, you'll feel miserable very quickly. But if you organize your day (even with meaningless tasks like "i'll go further in this video game that i let down for 2 hours tomorrow), you'll feel way better at the end of the day because you had a plan and you did it.

Extratip : Create a small habit journal and put it next to your bed. Complete it before going to bed to realize what you've done today, and be happy about it. You can even put a number from 0 to 10 reflecting your mood of the day

Source : I've been isolated for most of the year for multiple reasons

Thanks for the great ideas Furlisht. You've summarized all there is that I should do right now, thank you! Happy New Year!

As isolated as we are, I can still go to the Dentist.

Dang!

@Merlinious How are you doing now? I hope you are able to communicate with your parents while you celebrate the New Year! You can do facetime, skype w/e options you have there, there are lots!

There is hope on the horizon, but it relies on people doing their part.

...wishing you the very best for a peaceful, prosperous and healthy 2021,
VS

Originally posted by Mambalante
@Merlinious How are you doing now? I hope you are able to communicate with your parents while you celebrate the New Year! You can do facetime, skype w/e options you have there, there are lots!

I really appreciate your concern, I do manage to have fun this New Year's eve! My whole night was facetiming with my parents while celebrating the New Year on my friend's place. How about you? I hope you also had a great New Year with your family or friends.

I had a nice new years eve with my parents. We did some board games.

My wife and I sat in our living room, had a drink and watched a movie on TV while scrolling facebook.

Had a few phone calls.

Went to bed just after midnight.

So that wasn't to special. Looks like a normal evening.

Originally posted by SDK1987
So that wasn't to special. Looks like a normal evening.

Exactly.
Normal, but not for New Year's Eve.
Usually we have a small family gathering with a buffet of small items, but no formal dinner

Hopefully it will be better next new years eve.

Well actually, I rather enjoyed the peace and quiet

I'm no expert, but trying to connect with others is probably the way to go, despite the inability to do so physically, which understandably gnaws at one's mental health, due to the whole social animal thing.

Prayers sent for all that are having struggles this past year, I feel bad that so many are struggling... most of us here are so fortunate.

I have not felt much stress due to isolation.
First of all, I don't get out much anyway, and the things I do need to do -- shopping, medical visits and so on are permitted when necessary.

I also look after my brother who is unable to get out due to advance MS, so I get to see him periodically.

It was really hard last year though, when I couldn't visit my Mum in long-term care.

I keep in contact with friends though skype, email and so on.

I've loved to talk to elders and connect with them back when I was younger, but now I've grown afraid of getting accustomed to someone else especially elders as I had a major heartbreak when I lost my grandma and it's really disheartening seeing someone you've lost too early. Growing old is scary, not for myself but for my parents and for everyone I loved to grow old and wither.

When I was at university, I used to visit my Grandma who lived nearby.
While there, we would go through photograph albums she had of live in the Yukon during the gold rush.
She grew up there at that time.

It was fascinating.

I wrote nothing down.
I still have the albums, but remember nothing.

Such a shame.

Problem as well is that the quality of life could be worse as well