Working from home, getting a pay cut, facing some financial concerns, facing unemployment, home schooling children, lack of personal space at home, lack of physical contact with family and friends. These are some of the difficult challenges that we all go through during this pandemic and lockdown. There may be too much going on, and some of us might feel extremely worried, anxious, moody, stressed, and even depressed. How have you been coping with these new norms and realities?
Mental health consists of our psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing. It affects how we feel, think and act. It is essential to look after our mental health as it affects our daily living, relationships, work and all aspects of life.
Here are 7 tips on how to protect your mental health amid the pandemic and lockdown.
Covid-19: 7 Tips on How to Protect Your Mental Health
1. Cultivate awareness on your feelings, thoughts and physiological reactions.
If you have read my other posts, you would see that I emphasise on this point a lot. It is important to acknowledge what you are feeling and thinking especially during this pandemic and lockdown, because it is the first step to understanding your condition, first step to change, first step to self-development and better mental health.
Take note of the times when you feel heart palpitations, tingling in your hands and feet, and so on. These bodily reactions will signal you that you are stressed or feeling something bad. Then, you would be able to manage them. Understand why are you feeling them, and find out what are the stressors.
Acknowledge your feelings and thoughts even if they are intense negative ones, such as anxiety, depression and confusion amid this pandemic and lockdown. Don't pile them up.
Avoiding a negative emotion buys you short term gain at the price of long term pain. - Noam Shpancer
Let's say you are under stress and decide to drink. It sort of "works". But the next day, if the bad feeling comes, you drink again. This might only solve your issue in the short term, giving you an instant gratification. But the issue still persists and in the long run, not only you are still stuck in this issue, you might develop dependency for alcohol, which is another bigger problem
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Hence, acknowledge whatever bad emotions you are feeling, and those dark thoughts that you have. Don't avoid them, instead, go through them, feel them deep and slowly let them go. You will feel a lot better, be able to accept things that has happened, see where are you at right now and know where should you head.
2. Create a routine amidst this season of uncertainty.
What is the first thing that you do when you wake up in the morning? Do you give yourself some time to enjoy the little things in the morning, such as making a cup of coffee, listening to some of your favourite music? Or do you just shower and rush off to work? You may think it doesn't really matter how you spend your morning, but the truth is it makes a huge difference in how the rest of your day goes.
Not only it sets the pace for your day, it gives you clarity as you spend time thinking about where you are right now and what are some of the things that you should do. Instead of rushing off to your appointments and tasks, which may make you feel stressed, overwhelmed and frustrated, you this find peace and confidence in your morning routine which could carry you throughout the long day and be more resilient in times of stress. Not just a morning routine, having a daily routine helps with anxiety as well. This is because you feel more in control when things get more "automatic" and systematic for you amid this season of fear and uncertainty. This helps create a sense of peace and order.
3. A little self-care goes a long way.
Practice self-care. Not only you should care for your personal hygiene, but also do something that makes you happy daily. Reward yourself after a day of hard work, whether it's reading a book, watching a nice movie on Netflix, putting on a sheet mask, or just having a nice warm bath. Also, make sure you have enough time to rest and unwind, even if you are not a busy person and you think you don't need it. Many people are unaware that it is due to piled up stress that leads to them developing mental health issues. It is because they do not prioritise rest, and thus unable to manage their stress level. Make sure to have some time off for yourself, this is so important for your mental wellbeing.
Self-care also means being kind to yourself when you make mistakes, hearing your own emotions out and not judging yourself.
To know more about how to engage in self-care, read this: 6 Steps to Self-Love.
4. Know what are facts and irrational thoughts.
According to the National Science Foundation, an average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 80% are negative and 95% are repetitive thoughts. Many times we don't even notice that the thoughts in our head are mostly negative and repetitive ones. Becoming aware of your thoughts is so important, because our thoughts determine the quality of our lives.
What consumes your mind, controls your life. - Craig Groeschel
Some of the irrational beliefs or thoughts include: "I can never fail or my life is over", "I must please others to feel good about myself", "If everything is going well, something bad will happen", "I'm gonna die of the virus", "My past controls my future" and so on. Not only we should be aware of the thoughts that we have, we have to be able to know what are facts and irrational thoughts. Always question your thoughts, find evidence on whether or not they are true. Ask yourself questions such as: "How realistic is this thought?", "What evidence do I have that this can happen?".
If you couldn't find enough evidence, then perhaps they are just some irrational thoughts. However, know that these irrational thoughts exist to protect us from some form of danger, they don't mean no harm. Yet we also have to know that these thoughts are not the reality. You could just take them in as some form of information for you to process. That way you are able to manage your negative emotions, such as stress, anxiety, frustration, disappointment and so on. Then, your quality of life will greater improve as well.
5. Stay connected with family and friends.
You may be in lockdown and this is hard for you to meet your family and friends. Yet, don't be discouraged. It doesn't mean you should isolate yourself, especially if you are dealing with anxiety, depression and stress. Put in some effort to make some video calls to your parents, siblings or some friends. Engage in meaningful conversations. Share your thoughts and feelings.
Positive conversations produce a production of a feel-good hormone called oxytocin, which is associated with bonding and lowering stress level. Thus you feel good after talking to a friend. It is especially helpful if you are dealing with stress, depression and anxiety. I know you may lack the motivation to connect with others when you are feeling depressed, but trust me, it will feel a lot better talking to a friend.
Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. - Fred Rogers
6. Exercise your way to wellbeing.
Not only exercising contributes to our physical health, but also your mental health. People may be saying that "we should exercise" or "we must exercise for our health", but really let us say that exercising should be part of our lifestyle because we personally value the benefits to our wellbeing.
"It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigour." Marcus Tullius Cicero
Research shows that physical activities help improve our mood, our stress level and also our self-esteem, because you feel good after working out. Happy hormones such as dopamine will be released when we exercise, making us feel content, calm and more awake. Your messed up thoughts will be clearer because more blood and oxygen are pumped into your brain. This is why some people engage in deep thoughts while exercising, as they will gain clarity of thoughts. Therefore, whenever you feel stressed, depressed or anxious, go for a run, a swim, or even rock climbing, to the gym, anything that works for you. Feel the effects of exercising afterwards. You won't regret it.
7. Seek mental health support.
If you know that you are experiencing symptoms of mental disorders, and facing distress in your daily life, relationships, work and other aspects of life, please seek for mental health support. Read here to find out about the 19 Warning Signs of Mental Health Issues. Let me assure you that it is okay if you are facing some symptoms of mental disorders and that you need help. Mental illnesses can happen to anyone. It is not the end of the world. It just means you are too stressed and the way that you are living life is not working out for you, thus you need some help to sort things out. See this as a turning point for your life, for you to discover your limits, your strengths and weaknesses, your preferences, your values, to grow to be more resilient, to know what you want in life and what you should do next.
Often it’s the deepest pain which empowers you to grow into your highest self. - Karen Salmansohn
If you know that you need help, reach out to a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist or a counsellor. Healing takes time, but asking for help is a courageous step.
Here is a list of Covid-19 Crisis Counselling Services.
In sum, here are 7 tips on how to care for your mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic:
Cultivate awareness on your feelings, thoughts and physiological reactions.
Create a routine amidst this season of uncertainty.
A little self-care goes a long way.
Know what are facts and irrational thoughts.
Stay connected with family and friends.
Exercise your way to wellbeing.
Seek mental health support.
Above all, remember to connect with God. Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares for you. Dwell in his presence and let his unfailing love refreshes your soul. He is the rock that we could put all of our trust and hopes on.
“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. - Psalm 94:19
Take care.
Sincerely Yours,
Kim
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