Social Distancing and Mental Health?

It seems like most experts today agree that the concept of social distancing is incredibly important for us all to follow religiously, as a way to hopefully slow down this whole spread of the pandemic we’re currently in.

But by doing so we are at great risk of more mental health issues when people feel that they’re isolated from their friends, family, and more.

So what do we do?

I’ve been blessed to be in the world of mental health for 40 years now, and I want to share some ideas that I think can help everyone whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert during the challenge of social distancing.

Number One. Accept it as a fact. Quit looking for rabbit holes to go down to say that the pandemic isn’t real or that social distancing doesn’t work… Save yourself the time and energy and simply accept the fact that this is something that most experts believe we all need to be doing religiously.

Drop your arrogance, let’s work together on this.

Number Two. Create space for your mental health. Meditate, journal, work with a counselor or a coach, write about the things you’re grateful for, and things that are challenging, and next to the challenges put steps for the solution.

Number Three. Exercise daily. Even 6/10 minute walks over the course of the day will start to release endorphins in the brain to help lift your mood and feel better.

Number Four. Start a new hobby. Get something that you’ve never done before to challenge your brain which will help with your mental health during social distancing.

Crossword puzzles? Photography? Writing your own book? What type of hobby have you always wanted to do but you never took the time for the past? Do those hobbies now.

Number Five. Limit your time with negative thinkers. Limit your time with gossipers. Limit your time with conspiracy theorists. Limit your time with people that want to go down every rabbit hole in the world, because most of those rabbit holes end in a dead-end anyway.

Number Six. If you can’t go to church but you love church, go onto YouTube and Google sermons. Any type of sermon whatsoever. Fill your mind with goodness.

Number Seven. Read books about people who have overcome great travesty. Read books about people who have gotten sober, who achieved financial independence after living in poverty. Read books of hope. Read books of love. Fill your mind with goodness and more goodness will follow.

If you follow the above steps it’s not going to end the pandemic, it’s not going to make you have a perfect life, but it will start to put you back into control of your emotions.

Working with a counselor or a coach or a therapist can help you look deeper than the surface to see if there are resentments you’re holding against family members, coworkers, maybe even your boss that you need to let go of in order to be more grounded in mental health.

Even as a counselor, I’ve had to reach out to different people when I got stuck during this pandemic, I’ve had to research and read about more successful people who have overcome great challenges to give me hope that I can continue to move through this as well.

Start today. Not tomorrow, today“

David Essel‘s work is highly endorsed by individuals like the late Wayne Dyer, and celebrity Jenny McCarthy says “David Essel is the new leader of the positive thinking movement.“

His work as a counselor and minister has been verified by organizations like Psychology Today. marriage.com has verified David as one of the top counselors and relationship experts in the world.

To work with David one on one via phone or Skype from anywhere, please visit www.DavidEssel.com

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GRIEF..BE CAREFUL! SELF TALK? A M ANXIETY?

By David Essel • December 30, 2025

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Message of Hope

By David Essel • December 30, 2025

I sit here today, like many people, looking back at the last five years and understanding the struggle that most of us have been going through. Like me, you might be experiencing a holiday season without a loved one Like me you might be experiencing a holiday season that has been preceded by several years of deep trauma, that for many of us is a part of our lives… Even though we wish it wasn’t. In the struggles we’ve all faced, I think it’s so important to figure out what we’re learning about ourselves, what we’re learning about our belief systems, what we’re learning about self-care and how we treat others. Normally people do these posts on January 1 getting everyone ready for the new year, but I wanted to do it today because 2026 is in our hands, it can be complete crap, or it can be something quite different. It really depends on our perspective, our mindset, and how we’re willing to change what isn’t working now into what will work in the near future. Some of us have had incredible health struggles. Others have had relationship break ups. Others have gone through Divorce. Others have gone through financial collapse. Others have tried to figure out the whole world of grieving, after losing a loved one when they’ve never been in that position before. Others have struggled with finding the right job, the right career Others have struggled with deep mental health issues, anxiety, depression, mental issues. So we come to this point, and we can either hold onto the struggles that we’ve gone through over the last five years or we can slowly start to release them and look for tools that are all over the place and how to change our mindset how to change our subconscious mind and how to expect the best after five years of hell for many of us. Is it possible? Hell, yes! But we have to decide now… How we’re going to strengthen our mental health, how we’re going to improve our physical health, how we’re going to improve our relationships, how we’re going to improve our financial situation, how we’re going to improve anything else not mentioned here that has been a stressful experience for us in the past. Many of us will find solace in a deep connection by going deeper into your spiritual or religious experiences. Others will find solace by finding a mentor, counselor, teacher who can assist us because they’ve already been in the situation we’re currently facing. Others will find solace “community“, whether it’s business groups or Recovery, groups, or mastermind groups, community could be the answer for many people who are struggling right now. Others will find solace simply by letting go! By releasing the constant grind… By releasing the Constant need to “have more buy more“ Others will find solace by going deeper into the world of volunteerism, whether it’s pet shelters or reading to the blind, there’s so many different ways that you can start to shift your identity from struggle to service. Others will find solace by going into the creative world, by learning a musical instrument or learning how to draw or paint or woodwork or some other type of hobby that allows them to tap into different parts of the brain to continue to grow as a human being, not to get stuck in the negativity. I have clients that have found great solace in the last six months by completely getting off of all social media. I have clients in the last six months that found solace by completely eliminating anything to do with the news or political conversations. I have clients in the last year that never believe they’d be able to meditate or learn diaphragmatic breathing or learn emotional regulation or lose 50 to 100 pounds and yet they’ve all done it in the last 12 months! But it didn’t happen because they started 30 days ago it’s happened because they started 12 months ago which is the whole purpose of my article here! Now is the time my brothers and sisters to begin the change! Now is the time to start to really learn about the power of your subconscious mind and how to turn it into one of the greatest assets you’ve ever had in your life and I promise you this… If you learn how to master The subconscious mind in 12 months, you’ll be a completely different person potentially in every area of your life! I’ve seen that happen in my life! I’ve seen it happen in thousands of thousands of clients that I’ve worked with over the past 50 years… Their lives completely changed in a year or less! This is why I am Asking you to strongly consider taking the time now up until January 1 to really get yourself going so on January 2 you know what you’re gonna be doing every day in order to shatter the old triggers, to shatter the old fears and insecurities, and to bring you to the place that you want to be financially, relationship, wise, healthwise, mentally, emotionally… I want you in 12 months or less to be exactly where you want to be and I know you can do it because I’ve seen it happen over 1000 times! You have the power to radically change your life right now if you so desire! You have the power to completely turn around anything that has been a trigger, and turn it into a non-event! Believe in yourself! Believe even deeper in yourself! I am wishing you the most amazing radical change if that is what’s necessary in your life, so you can live the life of your desires, your dreams and create at the same time opportunities for others to see what’s possible… You become the role model for success! I’m sending you so much love, so much joy, and a prayer that you take 2026 seriously enough to begin in writing the daily rituals that you will start to follow in order to create what you deserve. With love, David