Local expert advises boosting self-care during isolation

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A local expert advised how to keep anxiety and depression at bay by incorporating a new routine during the coronavirus crisis.

Psychotherapist Ty David Lerman with Southwest Psychotherapy Associates said many of his patients have reported some level of anxiety, trying to adapt to working from home or trying to calm fear of the unknown.

"Depression kind of creeps up because we may be out of a job," Lerman said. "We may be socially isolated. We may miss our loved ones. One of our loved ones maybe ill and we're facing not being able to be there with them. There's a lot of reasons of why we may feel anxious or depressed right now."

He said he recommends for people to focus on their self-care which he describes as finding things to do that feed your mind, body and soul.

"Creating some type of schedule for yourself and for your family is a fantastic way to try to find some sense of normalcy," Lerman said, "So whether that is making sure first thing in the morning everyone gets up 9 a.m., we're doing yoga and then mid day we're all going to take a break and do some meditation for 15 minutes."

Lerman also said people need to focus on getting proper rest, diet and exercise.

"I'm encouraging all my clients to limit their media intake. Get informed and then turn off the TV. Turn off the radio and take time to process it all," Lerman said. "Keeping in mind this is a short-term thing. It's not for all time. We're all trying to adjust and make things work."

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