COVID-19 has been a part of our lives for over 2 years now. I’m sure many of you have had COVID or have been impacted by it in some way. Mental health during COVID has been a challenge for many, and if you experience COVID and it impacts your mental health, then check out these steps.
1. Sleep, hydrate, eat: During COVID it is easy for your sleep schedule to get all out of whack, but that is okay. Sleep as much as your body needs to help get better. Once you get over COVID work on a strict bedtime routine to get the right number of hours of sleep each night. Constantly have water with you, you won’t be doing as much, but your body still needs to be hydrated constantly. If you aren’t a fan of water, try some flavored water drinks. When it comes to eating, it may be hard to build up an appetite, this is something I personally struggled with, but create a schedule of what you will eat. You’ll notice because you’re doing less, sleeping more, and not feeling well, your appetite will lessen, but you must fuel your body to help regain your health! You’ll feel much better if you take care of yourself with sleep, hydration, and eating.
2. FaceTime Friends & Family: Not being able to see anyone is the worst. The closest thing to do to alleviate the feeling of isolation is to facetime friends and family. Not only that, but you can use movie watching apps and watch a movie with someone who isn’t physically next to you in real time. Check out: Teleparty (on google chrome)
3. Take a daily shower, go through your clean up routine: When you’re not feeling well it can be easy to lay in bed all day, miss out on showering, and wear the same clothes for a few days. What can help is making it a goal to get yourself in the shower every day, put on fresh clothes, and do your clean routine. It may seem small, but it’ll help you feel so much better.
4. Color or journal: You’re going to have a lot of extra time on your hands so why not do something comforting? Our lives go by so fast, so slowing down and coloring or journaling can help calm you down, refresh your mind, and give a little boost for your mental health.
5. Get outside for a daily walk: Being stuck inside for a long period of time can feel rather unsettling. If it is safe to do so, find a way to get outside and go for a walk. Be careful about not getting your heart rate up too high, wear a mask, take in the sounds, the smell, and the sights. You may even begin looking forward to this part of your day.
6. Meditate: Meditation has many benefits. It can help you clear your mind and not focus on everything going on around you, but rather be in the moment. There are many apps out there, YouTube videos, or even your own doing that can help you recenter yourself during a stressful time
7. Reorganize: Are you feeling a little better, but not 100%? Spend your time reorganizing areas that you’ve put off. This will make you feel much better after, it can be relaxing, and soon rewarding; and you can even play some of your favorite songs or have a show on while you reorganize!
8. Learn something new: With all this extra time, it can be easy to get in a funk. Use your precious time to learn something new. There are many free programs online where you could learn new languages, start a new hobby, find new recipes, and more. You may even find a new passion from this!
9. Stray away from news and social media: It may be easy to mindlessly scroll through your social media apps, or have the news on, but try and stay away from these. Seeing people doing different things while you’re home isolated has the potential to increase feelings of anxiety and depression. Remember, this won’t last forever, you’ll get better, and be back to your life before you know it.
10. Practice positive self-talk: Have you ever thought how hard it is to tell yourself what you’re good at, compliment yourself, or maybe even have trouble accepting compliments from others? Try complimenting yourself once a day and working to believe what you tell yourself positively. Practicing positive self-talk can help you see yourself in a more positive light, help your mental health, and ease these hard times.
Remember, we’re all going through this together and you’re not alone. If you ever are in search of more help, reach out for a free consultation today!