Pro tip from somebody whoās had to get a lot of trauma therapy and has moderated a few support groups: as busy as you might be right now, you need to be more adamant than ever in carving out time for yourself. I donāt mean just telling yourself youāre going to do nothing but veg out on the couch after work, either.
Structure and predictability are really important during high stress periods. It helps you reclaim a sense of control, and reassures your nervous system that not everything is up in the air. Even if you are beholden to unpredictable service industry hours, find things that can be done day-to-day. Getting into a good rhythm with meds is a great place to start; finding a reliable meal or snack time is also a huge one.
On top of unstructured play/break time (like just turning your brain off to binge TV), remember to make planned and structured breaks, too. Find an online class or meet up that meets every week. Spend 30 minutes everyday at midnight reading. Not only does it encourage you to not get sucked into languishing in your anxiety, it gives you easily achievable goals and hope for the future.
Above all, please remember to really take care of yourself. Sleeping, eating, hydration, socialization, and exercise are all basic needs. Spend some extra time checking in with yourself now and again to see if you need a little something else.
Overall, just be more intentional with your self-care. Youāre going to be a little more delicate right now, and probably already at maximum capacity. Thatās not something to fault yourself for. 2020 has been that wild, and no, youāre not overreacting.