Mental health and creating a positive headspace during lockdown. Managing your mental health during this time of change and uncertainty can be an ongoing challenge. First things first, know that whatever you are feeling is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. We are not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm, and each of us are experiencing this situation differently day-to-day.
We are all experiencing loss (trauma) and that comes with a wave of emotions that affect our mental and physical state. Healthcare workers are on the frontline of Covid, many parents are home-schooling, teachers are teaching remotely, small business owners have closed businesses, others have lost customers and clientele, some people are having to sit in masks for full days/weeks at work, we are in living in a very hard time at the moment.
Your top priority during this time needs to be self-care! Sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to eat well and move your body - let’s face it, Netflix and chill is far more accessible and feels far more comforting as everything else feels different at the moment but we need to think of the long-game here.
Adapting and adjusting teaches us new ways to attain good health, makes us more resilient, makes the time under stress more bearable and makes us feel more accomplished with purpose. Self-care doesn’t always feel good in the moment, but you will reap the benefits from staying as close to your usual routine as you can. Do it for the after affect! Try to tick off each of these 6 categories each day.
Intelligence
Tap into anything that triggers your mind into stimulation and allows you to delve into what feels good: \
- Learn about something new.
- Advance on a skill.
- Research something you’re interested in or passionate about.
- Listen to a podcast or watch a video that adds to your knowledge.
- Practice a task you’ve been wanting to master
Creativity
- Home renovations.
- Planning ahead for your family.
- Organising/decluttering your home.
- Paint.
- Colouring in with the kids.
- Build something.
- Music.
Gratitude
Take the time to take stock and be grateful for small elements in your life. I.e., Having a roof over your head, access to food and fresh air, the ability to exercise, being able to pivot your business, being given the opportunity to spend more time on your business, enjoying extra time at home with your family. Not allowing “negative emotions” to carry anymore more weight than a positive emotion would carry.
Self-Care
Scheduling in things that are solely for the purpose of YOU.
- Cooking.
- Journaling.
- Photo booking.
- Pamper yourself.
- Take time out.
- Schedule what you eat for the week to be nourishing.
- Sleep.
- FaceTime/Zoom a friend for a chat.
- Set personal boundaries for work and home life.
- Decompress from the day.
Exercise
Move your body and mind each day.
- Exert physical energy to reduce anxiety.
- Stretch, Run, Walk.
- Weight Train, Yoga, Pilates, Bike Ride.
Mindfulness
- Meditate.
- Grounding Exercises.
- Muscle Relaxation.
- Deep Breathing.
- Unhook from social media and technology.
If you can try to focus on what is in your control, and end each day doing one thing from each category then you are really working hard towards good mental and physical health. Daily routine and self-care are your cornerstone as we wait for the storm to pass.
