Staying Sane During Lockdown – How to Look After Your Mental Health
The past few months have not been easy for any of us. With ¾ of the world in lockdown or practicing social distancing due to the current Coronavirus outbreak, our lives have changed beyond recognition.
We could hardly wait for the temperatures to rise again to start spending more time outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, the hikes, the long walks, and the weekend barbeques with our besties. Unfortunately, while many of us are forced to stay indoors, anxiety and stress feelings might become overwhelming.
People who are used to an active lifestyle or working from an office, interacting with other people, might experience loneliness, fatigue, anxiety, and even mild episodes of panic attacks and depression. Therefore, looking after your mental health is extremely important.
If you want to make the most out of the time you spend on your own, here are some tips to keep your brain active and strong.
Maintain a Routine
Our bodies function the best when we establish a routine that we stick to. However, due to recent events, some of us found it hard to become motivated to wake up early in the morning again. The alarm clock, the breakfast and coffee to go, driving to work – these activities were all part of your morning routine that kept your brain functioning.
Keeping as many of these customs as possible is crucial if you want your brain to adapt easier to the latest situation. Waking up at irregular hours, staying late at night, skipping breakfast, or having short working hours can confuse your body and brain even more.
If you want to stay healthy and sane, the first step is to have something to look forward to, and you can only do so if you maintain the same habits you had before the pandemic. Reward yourself with a few minutes of visualizing your dream holiday after finishing all your daily tasks. Remember that, this too shall pass.
Stay Away From the Negative News and People
Being informed and watching the news 24/7 are two completely different things. If the first one feeds you enough news to know how the current situation is evolving, the other can easily bring you down or cause more stress and anxiety.
Sometimes, shutting off from the world and social media for a couple of days could improve your mental health. Allow your brain to take a break from the bad news and the constant state of alert and let it focus on better things.
Read a good book, rest, watch your favorite show, and keep your distance from the negative people in your life. This may turn out the best way to remove them for good to prevent getting back to the same stressful situations once this is over.
Practice Meditation or a Mild Form of Physical Activity
The old Latin saying “Mens Sana in Corpore Sano” is more relevant than ever. Take a few minutes off and de-connect by practicing meditation, yoga, or any form of physical activity. This will not only help you remain in good shape and health but can also do wonders against anxiety, stress, panic attacks, depression, and negative thoughts.
Stretching, running, jogging, cardio, or walking your dog outside are all great ways of staying fit and taking your mind off the daily struggles. If sports aren’t your thing, you can try other things around your house such as cleaning, planting, gardening, or focusing on DIY fixing projects, which leads us to our next point.
Be Creative
If you find yourself having too much free time all of a sudden, one way to keep your mind occupied is to find things you can do around your house. Whether we’re talking about planting trees or flowers, growing vegetables, painting the walls, building a new tool shed, or working on an old car, all these activities will force you to turn on your creativity.
Another great benefit is that they will keep you away from your phone, laptop, and TV, so you will be less inclined to watch the news or read alarming articles online.
Now is also the best time to pick up a new hobby or learn to play an instrument. If you fixated on a cello, this could prove an interesting read and could help you find the right item for beginners.
