Are you someone who suffers from a mental illness? whether Anxiety, Depression, OCD or the host of others, You are either unfazed by the time spent in lock down or it will become increasingly stressful each second that goes by. Its a flip of a coin, but judging by the fact that you are reading this I assume its been the latter. Below are 7 things to practice to improve your mental health during quarantine.
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Stay connected with friends and family.
Its relatively easy to confuse social distancing with social disconnecting- I should know I’ve been guilty of this my whole life- but it’s not very good for our mental health. Try to stay in the lives of the people you hold dear in any way you can, whether through social media or the countless amount of apps intended for interacting, keep them close so you can lean on each other during these difficult times.
Meditate
Relax, yes it’s difficult with all that’s happening around us, however just take some time to breathe and connect with yourself and nature. Meditation has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety in addition to improving your sleep. If you’re a beginner or simply not sure how to go about meditating, I use headspace it has multiple different categories and the time is easy to modify depending on your schedule.
Pamper yourself
Every now and then try to elevate your mood with a little self-care, even if its just doing little things; applying makeup, shopping online or getting dressed to go sit in your living room. It doesn’t matter as long as you feel great doing it. I find that simple things are effective when trying to improve mental health during quarantine.
Here is 5 ways to pamper yourself at home.
Exercise
I know everyone says this but that just means there is some truth to it right? getting your body moving and adrenaline pumping will do more than give you body goals. It has been linked to lowering stress levels and reducing fatigue thus improving sleep. Not to mention a boost in your self-esteem. A daily workout and meditation? you’ll be rid of insomnia in no time! Better start hitting those reps.
Limit your exposure to the news
With all that is going on the world right now, it is absolutely necessary to remain aware and informed of the latest updates on COVID-19. However, for some of us the overexposure to the news especially on social media, makes everything much worst. Finding a reliable source and tuning in no more than twice a day limits the spread of misinformation, as well as gives you time to find something more positive to occupy your mental space.
Show gratitude
Now more than ever we need to be grateful for all that we have. If quarantine has taught us anything it is that we should be appreciative of life, loved ones and all the little moments. Using a journal is a great way to do this; putting your thoughts on paper is a good way to deal with the tragedy currently surrounding us by expressing and releasing all that we are holding in while showing gratitude.
Get some fresh air
Go for a walk, a jog or grab that yoga mat and go outside to soak up some sun rays. Sunshine is linked to increasing serotonin in the brain which helps an individual to feel calm and focused. And I think we all can agree that our mental health needs all the help it can get right now.
