I think I can accurately speak for many when I say that life during this pandemic has been hard for everyone. Humans are social creatures- introverts and extroverts alike all crave varying degrees of social interactions in order to preserve physical and mental health. Since last March, many of us have not been able to fulfill those needs because it’s unsafe to do so. Personally, I know this has definitely impacted my mental health. Not to mention the constant anxiety of catching covid, it has become the perfect storm for poor mental health. In realizing my mental health had increasingly declined I utilized the following tips to help me keep my head above water, hopefully they will do the same for you.
- Put yourself on a schedule.
-
This may seem like an impossible task for any of you who similarly struggle with a lack of motivation to do anything when you’re already struggling. It took me weeks of trying this to eventually find a method that worked for me and my depression. Keeping yourself on a schedule can help with many of the aspects of quarantine life that contribute to your mental decline. Having a set of actions or just blocks of designated time helped me calm the anxiety that I would get from feeling like every day blurred together. Set aside an hour every monday for some form of self care, tuesday for maintaining the hygiene of yourself and your home. It may seem like a trivial task but having dependable structure in your day-to-day can help provide you with motivation and dismiss that anxiety of the unknown future. We can’t control how or when this pandemic will end, but having control over an aspect in our daily lives is astronomical in regaining that feeling of stability.
- Exercise at least once a week
-
When my depression is consuming me, I tend to spend most of my time in bed because the sheer thought of getting up is too overwhelming. This is a common symptom associated with a variety of mental illnesses. It can feel like the greatest challenge in the world to get up, let alone physically exercise. So, let me specify. You don’t have to do two hours in an online spin class, or an entire Chloe Ting routine. If you can find the energy to do that, more power to you. I found that even beginner 20 minute yoga classes on youtube helped me in ways I would have scoffed at previously. Take a walk around the block with your roommate, do a quick stretch routine before taking a shower. Anything helps, if you don’t want to listen to me at least listen to feminist icon Elle Woods “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphines make you happy. Happy people don’t kill their husbands!” Erm- maybe scratch that last bit.
- Designate time every week/day to talk to your friends
-
Many of us tend to isolate ourselves socially when we’re struggling even without the pandemic occurring. There was a time when I spent weeks without responding to a single text. Thankfully, I had a support group who held an intervention because I went MIA. Since then, for an hour every Monday and Wednesday I facetime my long-distance best friend. No distractions, no flaking. It is the time for us to catch up about our lives and the things happening or discussion of things stressing us out. Sometimes we even just spend most of the time sitting in silence working on coursework together. This constant tie to your social circle gives you something to look forward to when you feel like the world is crumbling. Don’t flake or see it as a chore because it is not. I can guarantee that you will leave the call feeling even just 5% better than you did before. It’s not going to cure all of your problems, but you will feel so much better to know that you have that stable connection. Don’t flake and claim that swiping up on their insta story is enough, it isn’t comparable to that face to face conversation.
- Do something for you every week (or day if you have the time)
-
Our interests tend to fall to the back burner when life overwhelms us. It’s just a fact of life, no one is prioritizing manicures when your world is burning. It’s okay, we all go through periods where we either become too busy or just forget to do the things that give us joy. It doesn’t have to be extravagant or productive. The concept of “Productive time” is a construct made in an era that has long since past. Millions of people are getting sick, you don’t need to stress yourself out because doing a face mask isn’t what you would normally consider “productive.” At the end of the day, the most important thing right now is preserving and maintaining your health, that includes mental health. Taking the time to do something you enjoy is the perfect way to take care of yourself. It may feel silly but after a while it will feel so therapeutic to give yourself a break to just relax and enjoy.
Before you head out and go back to your regular routine, please remember that your mental health is crucial to your overall well-being. This article and these suggestions are in no way replacements for professional care or advice, please seek professional care if needed. If you or someone you know are in a crisis please refer to the following resources listed below.