Many of us are still at home and dealing with social distancing and quarantine as the pandemic continues. Before the pandemic started, I didn’t realize how important mental health could be. I noticed being at home day after day put me in a different mood. It sucked even more being at home during the school semester. I would always push away the thought of how I was doing mentally. I always thought I was doing “okay.” However, I realized it’s important to focus on myself. I remember when I would be able to hang with my friends and and I took going out everyday for granted. This spring semester will also be online and I figured out several ways to keep my mental health in check.
- Talk to friends
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Make sure to talk to trusted friends who will be there for you. This can help you express how you feel and clear your mind. However keep in mind your friend is not your therapist.
- Use mental health apps
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There are many free apps to use that keep my mental health in check. Whenever I feel bad I talk to my therapist and express my emotions. This helped with my mental health greatly. One of my favorite apps is Headspace.
- Have a mental health day
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Having a me day also helped me out during these tough times. I would watch my favorite shows, eat my favorite food and do whatever I wanted. It allowed me to focus on my mental health.
- Work out!
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I also started working out during this pandemic. I wouldn’t take care of my health physically that much before the pandemic. I started exercising whether it’s for 10 minutes or 30 minutes.
- Get outside
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Taking walks with my parents in the afternoon helped clear my mind. Getting outside was a breath of fresh air from staying in the house all day.
- Have a set schedule
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I noticed my mental health would deteriorate when I didn’t have a set schedule. I made sure to start having a schedule and it changed my lifestyle.
There are different ways to keep your mental health in check. A silver lining from being stuck at home was the changes I made in my goals and my mental health. Make sure to keep your mental health in check and follow my tips!