Ditch the Quarantini: Healthy Options for Psychological Well-Being

Virtual happy hours abound, but this is also quite worrisome, especially for those struggling with alcohol and substance use. Dr Packer offers alternative solutions in this video. She recently coined the term tele-teatime. The British ritual is built around the time of day circadian rhythms drop, when most people's concentration it at its lowest.

Social isolation presents a good opportunity to grow plants and herbs for tea. Certainly, we can purchase it online; but growing a simple garden in a pot or a window sill can reap many rewards. Such rituals are just perfect for people who struggle with anxiety and depression and they bring real joy. Enjoyable activities are known in psychiatry as behavioral activation and they are proven to help in emotional well-being in the long term, unlike substances like alcohol and drugs that have a very short window of pleasure and end in remorse and, for some, full-blown despair.

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Disclosures:

Dr Packer is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai, New York, NY.