Here are 7 mental health tips for when experiencing a coronavirus pandemic /Covid-19 lockdown:
1 – Realize that it’s not all in your hands. It honestly never has been but even more so now, that’s really evident. The same is the case for everybody else. It’s how you cope with situations like these that matter most.
2 – Practice the mentality that is in the serenity prayer: focus on what you can change, on what you can do instead of spinning your wheels going over all the things that are wrong right now. Studies that were done with elderly people showed that when they focused on reminiscing on how good things use to be and on how different things were in the present, they started to experience a decrease in their happiness and health. Remind yourself that right now is all we have. Keep yourself firmly grounded in the present. And put all the things that are not in your control in the hands of a higher power.
3 – Have a strong yet flexible mindset. That means that you be willing to adjust to whatever comes your way. That may at times making changes that you never thought you would. The reality is that life is always changing. Past generations have gone through a lot more and survived. You can and will too.
4 – Stay connected with your loved ones through video and audio calls. Call each other even if it’s to just say hi.
5 – Next, take this opportunity to look within and see how you can grow. Self-mastery only happens when you take the time to be with yourself. Right now is a great time for you to work on yourself. Being on lockdown, presents the opportunity to do the things that you normally didn’t have the time to do. For example, right now is a great opportunity for you to grow and reconnect with yourself instead of just bingeing on tv or social media. Re-connect with yourself. Who are you? What are you all about? What drives you? What are you passionate about? What causes matter to you? With our busy day to day lives, it can get easy to get lost in hustle and bustle of every day life. Right now is a great time to do some introspection and get to know the real you. Meditate… do some self-hypnosis. Even the toughest times present opportunities if you allow yourself to see them. See them!
6 – Next, just because you don’t have work the next day shouldn’t mean that you stay up at night. Make sure that you maintain good sleep habits. Your mind will be able to better cope with everything that is going on if you are getting a good night’s rest.
7 – Lastly, practice self-care. Remember to exercise and eat healthy. Find online videos that can guide you. There are plenty of online yoga classes that you can do. And just because you are at home doesn’t mean that you should be eating all the time and that you should be eating crap. See food as fuel. As a source of nutrition and remember that after the dust settles there will be life. How you eat now matters.
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