Taking care of your mental health is paramount during uncertainty, the current world we are living in gives everyone enough reasons to be depressed, stressed and anxious. That is why it is so important to find ways to help us deal with uncertainty. I myself have been living in lockdown for almost a year, with lockdown restrictions changing frequently. While your family, friends, or coworkers might have been expressing mostly their positive side during the pandemic, I can guarantee you that someone close to you is going through a hard time or has gone through a tough time during the pandemic. Here are 5 tips so you too can find ways to deal with an unprecedented period.
1) Revisit your inner child
You don’t always have to look for new hobbies. If you look back to your childhood what is something you used to enjoy but forgot about or haven’t been doing lately. Did you enjoy playing an instrument, painting, reading, or doing puzzles? Remember, you don’t have to be talented, what matters is that you enjoy it. Also, another great way to revisit your inner child is by planning virtual game nights with family or friends, I am sure you will have many good laughs.
2) Stick to your pre-lockdown routine
Wake up at the hour you used to get up and get dressed as if you have somewhere to go even if you will be staying at home. You might have been living in joggers for a few months already, but subconsciously your body and mind are still used to the routine you had pre-pandemic. While you may have gotten dressed for others before, now you are getting dressed for your mental health.
3) Take a social media break
With information and regulations changing daily, it is normal to think that we must not and cannot stay off from social media but it is also exactly what we need sometimes. Social media can even stress you more out: the global news, intensified restrictions, and seeing people living through life as if nothing has changed, can also negatively impact your wellbeing. Thus, take a social media break 3 hours before you go to bed, or take a week off social media.
4) Find comfort in what you can control
Be present and focus on where you are right now and what you can control, take each day as it comes. Simple mental health questions can help, ask yourself: What do you see, how do you feel and what are you touching right now? “I’m sitting on my couch right now, drinking ginger tea. Right now, I know that I’m fine and if I go outside, I can and will do my best to keep myself and those close to me safe. I can control my personal actions.”
5) Get moving or meditate
If you can, and your health allows, take a walk in nature even if there is no sunshine. John Muir used to say “In every walk with nature, one receives more than he seeks.” I myself am a believer in walking out my anxieties and it is also through walks where I regroup my thoughts and come up with business ideas. If going out is not an option for you, exercise at home, there are plenty of free fitness and wellness videos online with various degrees of intensity without needing gym equipment at home. While you exercise or meditate, bring nature inside by opening your windows and breath in the fresh air.
We may not know when the pandemic will end, but find comfort in knowing that we have more answers than we had a year ago. Remember that you are never alone even if you might feel like you are. Express your thoughts and emotions, start to journal and start the conversation about your mental health.
Related:
Self-care: The 20/20/20 Formula – Take care of your body and soul.
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