Let’s have a little mental health check-in! How are you all doing? Like, how are you really doing? I feel like we’ve all been going through some intense emotional stages. Intense Anxiety. Frustration. Anger. And right now for me, it’s just all out mental exhaustion.
On Instagram a few days ago, I posted an image listing the signs of depression and a lot of people commented that those signs pretty much seem like normal COVID-era life and they’re so right. Even though I’m not feeling depressed, I ticked off a lot of those things too!
So this is your reminder that it is SO important to take care of your mental health, especially now when we’re all predisposed to feeling more depression and anxiety than usual.
Here are four easy ways (because like I said SO EXHAUSTED) that you can take care of your mental health.
Create a routine
And limit how much social media is part of that routine. There’s a new thing called doom-scrolling and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Scrolling through social media looking at news and comments while falling deeper and deeper into that feeling of doom.
With our outside lives severely limited a lot of us are spending so much more time on social media and a lot of the time, it’s hurting instead of helping. Set good social media boundaries as part of your routine. Set aside time to connect with your friends and groups/pages you love.
Another important part of your routine is setting specific times for your daily activities, especially if you work for home, but even if you don’t.
Part of this collective exhaustion we’re feeling can make it really hard to get things done. Setting a schedule for yourself can help you find the motivation. Plus it’s so satisfying to tick that little box off on your to-do list!
So, create a daily routine and do your best to stick to it. Avoid working outside your normal work hours. It is also a good idea to create a space for work which you will be in only during your working hours. Keep the boundary between work and home.
Self-care
As always, this is one of the pillars of mental health. Self-Care: Activities in your daily life that help you meet physical, emotional, and mental needs.
Ask yourself this question: What do I need today?
And if you can’t find an answer – start small. What does my body need? Water? A meal? A healthy meal? A few stretches or yoga moves? A foot massage? A hot shower? And then do the same thing for your emotions and your mental health.
When you spend time taking care of yourself, and you will notice a change in your entire well-being. If you happen to battle depression, the thing you need most right now is coping skills and a support system. Those things are essential.
Practice visualizations and affirmations
Visualizations will help you picture your goals; affirmations will encourage you to reach them. Visualization is where you imagine something that’s calming for you, like a peaceful scene in your head. That’s why I love guided meditations so much.
Affirmations give you the strength to believe and work towards achieving your goals. Practicing these will help you focus on achieving the abundant life you have been dreaming about, or alt least a little bit of peace and calm.
Stay in touch with friends
Being under lockdown does not mean all your communication channels are closed. It is important to communicate with loved ones and your support system. It doesn’t have to be a long conversation. Check-in through text, video chats, even a Snapchat. It doesn’t have to be a long conversation (again that emotional exhaustion). Consider having some online activities together, like an online game or quiz.
This is also a great time to add more people to your support system. There are several social media platforms that can help you find people to connect with.
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