Leaving enough breathing room for your mental health may seem like a tough thing to do nowadays. Especially now that we’re in the middle of a global crisis. However, due to the current situation, it has become more important to take care of our mental health. The COVID-19 outbreak can cause fear and anxiety for some. And if you find yourself struggling with your emotions, here are a few tips that can help you cope with stress.
Stay Informed
Staying updated with the news seems like the most unpleasant thing to do today. However, it is necessary. You just need to be careful in filtering out fake news that only cause more panic and misinformation. Read and share facts only from reliable sources. Having accurate information at your disposal can be helpful in managing your anxiety. It helps you prepare and keeps you in control of the situation.
Follow a Healthy Routine
Even without a pandemic, following a healthy routine is good for both your body and mind. And if you’ve been putting off living a healthy lifestyle under the excuse of not having enough time, now’s the perfect opportunity for you to finally start. It might be tempting to just stay in bed all day and binge-watch movies to your heart’s desire but just a reminder: only your desk job has been temporarily canceled - not the rest of life. You still need to pay attention to your health, especially given the situation.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deprivation is scientifically proven to cause a negative effect on your mood. And if it happens often, it takes its toll on your mental health as well. Now’s your chance to fix that messed up sleeping schedule of yours. Go to bed on time and get enough hours of sleep. The optimal number of hours varies from one person to another. One crude method of finding out how many hours you need personally is to go to bed at a fixed hour and allow yourself to wake up naturally without any alarm. Do this when your body is well rested from the previous day. Count the number of hours you’ve been sleeping and try to stick to that number.
Go to Bed Early
Getting enough sleep is not enough. It has to be done at a recommended time. Your bedtime varies depending on your lifestyle but the earlier you go to bed, the better. Following an earlier bedtime allows you to wake up earlier and do more during the following day.
Take the Time to Prepare Nurtritious Meals
Now’s not the time to compromise your health by following a poor diet. Aside from nourishing your body, taking the time to prepare meals can be quite a meditative process. See it as a recreational habit. Make use of the time spent at home by learning new recipes. Bake sugar-free goods using all natural sweeteners such as Purisure’s All Natural Stevia Powder.
Infuse your drinks with Purisure’s Vitamin C Powder to beef up your immune system. Apart from upping your vitamin C intake, adding a pinch of vitamin C powder into your fruit juices, smoothies, or iced teas can elevate its flavor by adding a bit of citrus taste.
Work Out at Home
If you have some fitness goals you’d want to work on, now’s the time to focus on them. Regardless of whatever goal you want to achieve - flexibility, strength, weight loss, or others - there’s definitely a home workout (apps, videos, and more) you can do to get you started while the gyms are closed. Working out is also a great way to boost happy hormones as you may already know. Working out around 30-40 minutes per day can do wonders not just for your physique but for your mental health as well.
Acquire a Creative Hobby
Starting a new hobby can be stimulating. It keeps you busy without stressing you out. You can start reading more books, painting, pottery, gardening, decorating, learning to play a new musical instrument, and even organizing. Do what you are most inclined to do. When the crisis dies down a bit and you’re back to your regular schedule, chances are you’ll be sticking to your new found hobby afterwards. You can say you’ve come out of the crisis healthy and with a new hobby.
The Takeaway
In a time of crisis, your mental health matters just as much as your physical health. Staying isolated may seem like the last thing you want to do but even if it seems boring and anxiety-inducing, staying isolated is the most helpful thing you can do for yourself, for everyone around you, and for the rest of society. Stay healthy and sane! We’ll get through this eventually.
References:
https://www.uhs.umich.edu/tenthings
https://www.dayofhappiness.net/#new
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html