The Pandemic has tremendously affected the cumulative mental health of everyone in the world. From the anxiety that stems from the threat of infection of the virus to the numerous adjustments that have to be made ever since quarantine, it’s no wonder people across the globe suffered immense stress.
Luckily, humanity’s will to survive and ability to rise above this adversity is stronger than ever. Many people have looked inward and have managed to make the most out of the quarantine. As a result, they manage to keep their mental health safe and stable. Here are a couple of things you can do to help with your mental health.
Create Boundaries For Work And Life
The adjustment to the work-from-home setup proved to be a stressful one for most office workers. Besides the fact that their respective homes aren’t really optimized for working, having people interrupt you every now and then can be a cause for arguments at home, making it all the more stressful. Also, having your laptop or work unit (cellphone) close to your bedside can make it especially difficult to call it a day, making you work more hours than you should.
Just like with anything personal, having boundaries is superbly healthy when it comes to the workplace. Other than physical boundaries like having a separate place to work in or deposit your work devices, it’s important to have time limits as well. Unless absolutely necessary, don’t do overtime for work. Instead, spend time with your hobbies, family and/ or friends after your end of day.
Prioritize Overall Wellness
Whether it’s keeping yourself fit, getting in shape or practicing mindfulness, maintaining overall wellness is a must. Considering how things have been relatively difficult lately, you have to be in tip top physical and mental shape to be able to adapt and respond to the demands of your environment.
Physically, it’s important to get some exercise and eat more healthy foods in order to boost your immune system. In terms of working out, it’d be great if you signed up for an online exercise program or, if your locale has the means for it, have wide open spaces to jog or run in on a regular basis. When it comes to the food you eat, consult with a dietitian for long-term, sustainable diets that keep you in shape and boosts your immune system.
Having this kind of routine in terms of diet and exercise helps keep your mind and body ready for anything that’s relatively stressful.
Regularly Schedule Calls With Friends
The pandemic has, to some extent, prevented friends from seeing each other on a more regular basis. Back then, just being able to schedule a drink or a night out to catch up was an easy thing to do. Now, it’s much more difficult given how COVID-19 infection rates are soaring and how quarantine announcements work.
While nothing comes close to meeting physically, just being able to talk with friends on a regular basis is a blessing. Having someone check up on you can be a literal life saver, especially if you have nothing but the walls of your condo to keep you company. Having a schedule like this also, to some extent, prevents you from spending too much time at work. If you and your friends have been vaccinated, then schedule a time outside in a place with wide open spaces
Catch Up On Your Hobbies
Unfortunately, the pandemic has made other people fall back or develop unhealthy habits. In order to combat this, it’s important to have a hobby to keep you busy. Other than hobbies that require you to socialize with people in an otherwise unsafe environment, being able to have one can be a literal life saver.
One example of a good hobby is calisthenics - it’s something you can do regularly, makes you feel good because of the endorphins and it helps keep you healthy. Another example is engaging in the creation of art - it helps you appreciate and discern the message of masterpieces across time. Whether it’s knitting, or reading, or writing a book, so long as it’s healthy for you, you get to learn from it and/ or it’s not work, it’s a hobby you should invest your time in.
Occasionally Take A Walk Outside
While it’s important to stay at home in order to help lessen infection rates and keep yourself safe, occasionally going out for a breath of fresh air can be good for you. Just being able to see something outside of your home’s walls can really help set the perspective that this will soon be over and that eventually, it’s going to be okay.
Of course, when going out, it’s important to practice social distancing procerdures, wear your face mask and shield and just keep away from places with lots of people. Go to parks with wide open spaces and a lot of greenery in order to reset your mind with lesser risk of infection.
It’s important to pay attention to how you’re feeling at a time of a pandemic. While it’s important to keep the faith and believe that everything will eventually be okay and safe, keeping yourself mentally and physically healthy is important.
