Life does pose its challenges at the best of times. One of the greatest challenges of our modern times will undoubtedly be Covid 19. Prior to March 2020 most of us were lulling along through our busy lives just as we always have with absolutely no comprehension or understanding of how rapidly life was about to change for us globally.
Suddenly overnight Covid 19 became a word that was etched and ingrained into the minds of the entire nation.Life as we knew it changed at the blink of an eye.
Work schedules, travel schedules, sleep schedules, school schedules, grocery shopping, running errands and even taking a walk outside the house became difficult for everyone.
Our routines have been so severely affected and along with that the levels of stress, depression, anxiety and sadly suicidal thoughts have sky rocketed globally for children and adults alike.
News reports started emerging amid the Covid situation about the growing concerns of the nations mental health and wellbeing. Therapist and mental health counselors alike have seen a huge influx of clients in their practices too needing help with their mental health currently.
A few self help tips to help combat negative feelings due to Covid are:
Staying in touch
Keep communication going with friends/family and loved ones via skype/zoom. We know it’s difficult when you can’t physically get together…but know that the situation will improve and not stay like this forever
Make sure you keep to some kind of schedule
Doing this will keep you on track through the day and limit how much idle time you have to think about things too much.
Do something productive with the free time you have.
Take up a hobby, or do some form of indoor exercise or maybe some online classes to brush up on your skills for your career. These are positive steps you can take to keep an idle/ troubled mind busy.
Take care of yourself
Eat healthy, stay hydrated, meditate and making sure you are getting enough sleep is also vital to one’s mental health.
Try and avoid binge watching the news
It is important to catch up on what’s going on, but try to avoid watching/ reading too much about the same thing especially if it is distressing, troubling to your psyche. Repetitive watching of the same news can gravely impact your mental health too.
Know and have faith that the situation will improve with time and that things will return back to normal soon enough.
If you or a loved one is feeling any form of loneliness, depression, anxiety, having a sense of fear of going out of the house, or any long standing negative feelings please do not hesitate to contact a licensed professional counselor for help.
Stay Safe