The global pandemic situation we are all experiencing, together with personal events in each of our lives (financial difficulties, family challenges and pre-existing health problems), can lead to feelings/emotions ranging from stress to frustration and exhaustion.
The home confinement we experience is not a natural situation, as it deprives us of our routine and our socialization habits.
Being at home with the children or being at home alone is a test for your relationships and your relationship with yourself.
The office becomes your home and suddenly there are no barriers between “time for myself” and “time for others”.
Or you find yourself without a job and filling the minutes in a way that gives you purpose becomes increasingly difficult.
In this article, we’ve selected the 10 best tips to help nurture mental health in a time of lockdown, isolation and global pandemic.
Make time for self-care. You can only take care of others if you take care of yourself.
That’s why, when you travel by plane, you’re warned that, in the event of an accident, you should put on your oxygen mask first and only then help your child put on theirs.
We can only fulfill our best role as parents, colleagues, friends and partners if we’re okay with ourselves.
Take time for yourself and don’t feel guilty about it.
Occupy this “you time” with activities that give you pleasure and help you feel good and calm.
The most commonly cited are physical exercise, reading and meditation, but you don’t have to limit yourself to these.
Keep in touch. Family, friends and colleagues are important components of our social circle and human beings are social by nature.
Despite being at home, isolate yourself without isolating yourself from your relationships.
There are various ways of keeping in touch at a distance.
If some days you don’t feel like talking about yourself, your day or events in the news, the subject could just be a movie you liked and recommend or a new music album.
Balance the sharing of worries and fears – which helps you understand and navigate your experiences – with lighter subjects that bring something positive and lively to your day.
Stop in order to continue. Human beings don’t have unlimited performance capacity and, in fact, when we go beyond our limits we suffer the effects of burnout and extreme exhaustion.
That’s why you should respect the time you have for breaks and rest.
Sleep is very important for several of our body’s functions and has a restorative effect.
Define spaces in your home for different activities and times of the day: the bedroom is the place to sleep, meals are in the kitchen and there is a place in the living room that is your work office.
Separating spaces will help you dedicate time to each moment of your day.
Remember that the only moment that exists is the present. The phrase “focus on the here and now” may seem cliché if you hear it too often without looking for its meaning.
But the truth is that the past no longer exists and the future has not yet arrived.
The anxiety we feel stems from having our thoughts focused on one of these times: on what has already happened or on what hasn’t happened yet.
When we are truly focused on the present, anxiety is relieved.
Bringing the mind back to the present is an ongoing process that requires constant dedication.
Breathing is a good tool that we can use for this purpose, prolonging inhalation and exhalation.
In addition, in the various activities you carry out throughout the day, try to be as attentive and present as possible.
Don’t just look, notice.
Feel.
Listen.
Focus your senses at all times.
Ask for help. We are not born knowing how to navigate our emotions, feelings and thoughts.
It’s a lifelong learning process that can be streamlined with the help of a health professional to guide you through the most uncertain moments.
If you feel overwhelmed and unable to manage your thoughts, feelings and emotions, call SEPRI on 253 271 525 where you can schedule an online psychology video consultation.
