The outbreak of the global pandemic, COVID-19, has had major health implications in recent times. However, one aspect that very few people are talking about is the effect it has on mental health as well. Living in constant fear of contracting the deadly virus and social isolation being the only remedy for it are reasons enough to make someone dive deep into anxiety, panic attacks, and depression.
It can be said that it is not only the body that is under attack here. The mind is equally vulnerable to break down at the moment. As the death toll is rising and the governments are implementing stringent measures to fight against it, it is important to preserve your sanity during these testing times. Here are a few ways that can be followed to preserve mental health during the outbreak.
1. Take care of your body
There is a common saying that a healthy body is closely related to a healthy mind. If you take care of your body, your mind will automatically be in the right place. There is even evidence that suggests that people who take care of their body have strengthened immunity.
Stretch
There is a chance that you have been working from home recently. So you will be spending a lot of time sitting and lying down. Stretch from time to time to free your joints.
Meditate
By practicing meditation, you can also practice mindfulness. Using this technique, you can keep away most of the negative thoughts from your mind.
Healthy diet
There are a number of food items that can help to boost your immunity. You should consume them more. Moreover, a balanced diet ensures that you stay fit.
Sleep
The sleep pattern might have gone for a toss during the time of the outbreak. Incidentally, some people might be sleeping fewer hours than before. Make sure you do not follow that pattern.
2. Take a break from the news and social media
One major reason mental health is severely affected is when you surround yourself with a lot of negativity. As unfortunate as it is, the news does not have any good things to report these days. It only talks about the outbreak and how different people are affected by it and the related deaths.
Social media is another avenue that has more depressing news than happy ones. There are always problems with fake news and statistics on social media as well. Therefore, it is probably best to stay away from it as much as possible. It is not possible to cut off completely from it, but take breaks from time to time.
3. Take care of your mind
It is not just your body that needs care during the pandemic. Your mind might be facing a lot of stress. It is essential to look after it as well.
Find ways to connect and stay busy
You cannot let despair get the better of you. Instead, keep your mind engaged. Indulge in some activity that was on your bucket list for a long time but you never started due to the lack of time. You will think less about the outbreak in this way.
Try to learn music
Music, in general, has a lot of positive effects. It can calm you down and concentrate on the right things. Learning to play a new instrument can be useful during this trying time. You can even opt for music lessons online easily these days.
Focus on positive thoughts
You should drive out all the negative thoughts in your head, especially the ones related to the disease, and try to focus more on the positive ones.
4. Connect with others
Since you will be spending a lot of time within the confines of four walls, it is a good time to rekindle some lost relationships with others. Connect with your old friends or family members whom you barely get to even talk during your otherwise busy schedule.
5. Avoid unhealthy coping strategies
Some people tend to let these colony strategies completely govern their life and they become a slave to it. It should be avoided at all costs.
Limit alcohol consumption
Alcohol might give you some momentary respite from the stress, but it has severe health implications. Avoid it.
Avoid using tobacco or other drugs.
It is easy to get addicted to these drugs, and that will stay with you forever. Therefore, please do not indulge in it.
6. Stay informed but don’t over-indulge
Last but not least, you should not completely give up updating yourself about the outbreak. However, avoid delving too deep into it. You are more likely to face something that has no real relevance to your life but can affect your mental health even more.
Remember, almost everyone is at the same spot as you. They are going through the same. One way of beating the virus is by staying mentally and physically strong at all times. Contact Sholom if you have any further questions.
