This has been a tough time for everyone, including myself. As the pandemic has now been going on for an entire year, I find myself looking back on the highs and lows that I have experienced since the start. It has been hard at times, but I got through the year by tweaking certain things in my daily life to make sure I am taking care of myself and trying to stay positive.
- Learning to enjoy my alone time.
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One thing I have done is become okay with being alone. Obviously being alone was a huge theme in most people’s past year, and there was a lot of sadness and loneliness that came with it, but I have started to love being alone. You just have to change your mindset – if you wake up every morning and ask yourself what would make you have a good day, then you spend the whole day living for yourself. If someone happens to ask you to do something, great. If no one does, great. Either way, you just had yourself a day and it was great. Being productive and keeping yourself busy when you are stuck at home is so beyond helpful as well.
- Drawing and painting.
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Another thing I started doing during quarantine was drawing and painting. It is so cheesy but I really found that it helped clear my mind for just a little bit and lifted some of the anxiety away. Now, I continue to draw or paint whenever I start overthinking or getting anxious, and it has really helped me to live in the moment, which is the most important part of combating negative feelings in my opinion.
- Creating a happy place for myself.
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Making my space comfortable and fun to be in has made being stuck inside a lot more manageable and exciting. One thing that improved the vibes in my room was adding a lot of bright and colorful decorations. Obviously, that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I found that it is a little serotonin boost when my room is as happy as I want to be. It is super important to understand what type of decor soothes you, and I would definitely recommend going on Pinterest and browsing through the different ways to decorate your space. It doesn’t have to be expensive either; a lot of the things I have hanging on my walls are things I made myself or pictures I have of the people I love. No matter what you choose to do, make sure you aren’t just emulating what someone else wants their space to feel like, but creating your own safe space.
- Moving my body.
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Getting up and moving is another huge part of helping yourself out of a funk. That doesn’t have to mean working out – I’m no fitness queen myself – but doing literally anything that gets you up out of bed. Sometimes, just getting out of bed and putting on a song that makes you happy and taking a little video of yourself dancing alone in your room can make all the difference.
Going out into nature for a quick walk or even a drive can make your day just a little better. It is definitely easier said than done, but moving your body is a great way to care for yourself.
Regardless of what your personal mental health journey may be, these are simple changes you can make in your everyday routine to combat the emotions you may face during these troubling times where it feels like there is nothing to do but lay in bed. These things have really helped me in navigating my mental health in this pandemic, and I hope that if you try to implement them, they will work for you too!