Dr. Annie Dries shares essential mental wellness strategies during challenging times in this interview with Lisa Marie Shaughnessy from Sante Center for Healing. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience juggling work and family responsibilities, Dr. Dries offers practical advice for maintaining balance during uncertainty. Her recommendations include establishing consistent routines, prioritizing healthy sleep patterns, incorporating physical activity, and finding positive perspectives amid difficulties. She also addresses concerns about substance use and provides guidance for those in challenging living situations.
Key Points:
Establishing Routines: Creating structure through consistent schedules
Healthy Habits: Maintaining sleep hygiene, nutrition, and exercise
Managing Anxiety: Identifying calming influences and limiting negative media
Substance Caution: Being mindful of alcohol consumption during stress
Finding Perspective: Appreciating unexpected opportunities for connection
For more information about Sante Center for Healing, please visit santecenter.com.
Full Transcript
Lisa Marie Shaughnessy: Hi. This is Lisa Marie Shaughnessy with Sante Center for Healing, and I'm so excited to be sitting here today with Annie Dries, who's a licensed psychologist in Colleyville. Welcome.
Annie Dries: Thank you, Lisa Marie, thanks for having me.
Lisa Marie: Absolutely! So how are you doing with this new normal?
Annie Dries: Well, we're hanging in there. I have two young school age boys, so I am now their teacher, and I'm still working as a psychologist, seeing clients, and I'm doing that through telehealth. My husband's working from home, so we're just all figuring out what to do with ourselves.
Lisa Marie: Yeah, I'm sure that's been a big adjustment for you guys.
Annie Dries: Definitely.
Lisa Marie: So okay, Annie, we know it's been you and your family you've gone through this adjustment. We know that there are millions of people out there who are also going through an adjustment. What do you recommend people do given the circumstances that we're in?
Annie Dries: So I know that life may seem like it is completely far from normal. The fact is that we're going to be doing this for a little while. So now we may be working from home, or maybe we're an essential worker who has to still go into work. Maybe we're now teaching our children, as I am. With all of these changes, it's really important to find your normal, and a big part of that is by having a schedule for yourself and having some routine. And it doesn't mean that every part of your day needs to be planned out, but just that you're, you basically commit to a few things like a wake up time, a bedtime and just that you'll make sure that you're doing a few necessary things every day.
Lisa Marie: So what other things are helpful?
Annie Dries: While it's important to get a lot of sleep, it's also important to avoid sleeping in too late or napping all day. These things can make us feel a little more depressed, if that might be our inclination, and avoiding napping if we haven't gotten a good night's sleep is important.
It's important to mix into your day things like exercise, meditation, going for a walk. And you may think it's silly, but it's really good to shower every day and get dressed. Be sure to eat something nutritious. I know a lot of people are kind of leaning on comfort foods, or maybe a lot of the things that we have in our pantry now aren't quite as healthy just because we're not taking trips to the store, but try to just get something nutritious in throughout the day.
Also, completing chores or schoolwork for kids, and really trying to focus on the things that you can do during this time, because it will help you to feel more accomplished. And having a plan will also help give people purpose, because life has changed. So having a plan gives us a little bit of control, gives us a feeling that we're getting things done.
Lisa Marie: Exactly. I love that. Okay, so anxiety, I know for myself, when all of this first started, I totally kicked into problem solving mode and driver mode, which was probably some anxious, some anxiety within myself. So I know I'm not the only one out there that is experiencing this. So what about people with anxiety? Or, you know, some people go into driver mode and some people shut down. So what's the difference?
Annie Dries: I think this is a time where we have to kind of look around our situation in our lives, and we have to see, okay, what? Who are the people in my life, and who are the people that make me feel more calm? Who are the people that make me feel in control and confident?
Maybe talking to a certain friend puts you in a state where you end up more anxious afterwards, or maybe there's a particular news cast or news station that you know you should probably avoid because maybe the news is a little bit sensationalized, or maybe you find that you can't even really subject yourself to too much news. So really focusing on the things in your life that are positive and that help you to feel confident, happy and in control. So if that's meditating, exercising, that healthy friend to talk to, or a news station that doesn't over blow what's going on.
Lisa Marie: That completely makes sense. Okay, so what are some things that people should really proceed with caution on right now?
Annie Dries: I know a lot of people won't like to hear this, but it is important to avoid drinking in excess during this time. Alcohol is a depressant, and it will leave you feeling worse the next day if you over indulge. So if you already have a tendency towards depressive symptoms, it's really going to make a very negative impact.
It also lowers inhibition. And we know some people are not in the best home situations, so this can actually increase conflict, because your inhibition is lowered, and you might actually engage in arguing when you wouldn't have if you weren't drinking.
So what I would recommend if you feel like you do have to have a drink is to try to set a time that you'll wait until. And don't just go by that "it's five o'clock somewhere," because that can lead to more drinking as the day goes on and a deeper level of intoxication. So try to set a time that you'll wait till if you feel like you need to have more than one drink, try to space it out by having water in between. Never drink on an empty stomach, and also that water if you space out your drinks with a water in between, then you will feel more hydrated, and that will actually help you the next day as well.
Lisa Marie: Well, I know the drinking situation is really concerning right now, because alcohol sales are up like 350% and I know, well, obviously Sante, we're a treatment center, and we do detox. Well, detoxing off alcohol can be deadly, right? Yeah, those are definitely wise words. Okay, so what we know that there are some who may be in less than ideal situations. What do you recommend for those in those less than ideal situations?
Annie Dries: My heart is with people who have difficult living or family situations as right now. We know a lot of the shelters are full for victims of domestic violence, and it's really—it feels like there's not many solutions available.
So what I recommend is that you try to get some space when you can, if you're able to go out for walks or just even get outside. Try to do that. Try not to engage. If you feel conflict rising, if you find yourself becoming angry, take a step back and remove yourself from the situation. Take some deep breaths. Choose inaction rather than a reaction that you will regret and end up feeling guilty about later.
For parents, especially, this is so important. If you get frustrated with the kids, try to take a step back, remove yourself from a situation and remember that maybe a little more screen time is going to be healthy for all of you. Your kids won't remember the day that they were able to watch movies all day, but they will remember the day when they were either physically or verbally abused.
Lisa Marie: Oh, that makes sense. Okay. So what else? What else would you like to share with us that would be helpful?
Annie Dries: The final thing that I want people to think about, because I think it will help them through the situation—when I work with clients, we talk a lot about perspective and how sometimes just taking a different perspective can really help in a situation, especially like this.
So I encourage you to take the time to examine the positives of this situation. It may be more challenging for some than others to do this, but we have opportunities right now that we don't normally have. So just see the good, appreciate maybe the slower pace of life and time with loved ones. We will likely never see an event like this again in our lifetimes, it's slowed down. Just try to appreciate the positives and make the best of this time.
And I do have some information on my website, which you'll see scrolling below, that just has lines for people to call if they need help. And I would encourage people, if you're feeling anxious or depressed, please reach out for help.
Lisa Marie: Okay, great. Annie, thank you so much for your insight, perspective and those nuggets of wisdom that people can use throughout their day. So if you do want to get a hold of Annie, you can reach her at perspectivesinbalance.com. She would love to talk with you, and she has worked with couples and families for many, many years now. So Annie, thanks so much for being here.
Annie Dries: You're welcome. Thank you so much for having me.
Resources for Additional Support
If you're struggling, please remember these resources are available 24/7:
Substance Abuse National Hotline: 1-800-662-4357
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Optum Free Emotional Support Hotline: 1-866-342-6892
About the author
Dr. Dena (Annie) Dries is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with Perspectives in Balance, PLLC, serving families in Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake, and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. Her practice is located at 2311 Mustang Dr, Suite 200, Grapevine, TX 76051.
For appointments, call (617) 957-9665.
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