The pandemic has caused so many shifts in our lives — unemployment, navigating remote working and classes. And now the loosening of protocols and rolling out of vaccines is slowly opening the world again. These changes can be stressful and impact our mental health. As such, below are a few self-care tips to manage it:
Take Care Of Your Body
The body and mind are interconnected, so taking care of one is also taking care of the other. For one, exercising releases feel-good chemicals that boost your mood. As for your diet, complex carbohydrates and fatty acids can improve mental functioning. Meanwhile, enough sleep gives you energy and focus to properly deal with your thoughts and feelings.
Make Time For Hobbies
Engaging in hobbies means you’re dedicating time and energy to something you love doing, making it an active way of reducing stress. This is because feel-good chemicals are released, making you feel happy and relaxed. This also motivates you to do your hobby again.
Set Realistic Goals
Setting goals can give you something to focus on and prevent you from being overwhelmed — from as simple as exercising every day to finishing a project at work by the end of the week. Decide on priorities and steps on how to achieve them. Learn to say no if you feel you’re taking on too much. And remember to celebrate what you’ve accomplished, no matter how small they seem.
Stay Social
Being connected to people can give you emotional support. Even if you’re not telling them about your thoughts and feelings, they can still make you feel valued and improve your self-confidence by making you feel that you’re worth their time and effort.
Get Help
If you’re having difficulty managing your mental health on your own, it would be best to seek professional help. Mental health professionals can suggest treatments that can help you recover and lead a full life.
I once had this season in my life that I felt lost and unmotivated, I thought that with time it will eventually fade away. But then, I learned that time does not heal but time teaches you how to live with it.
Refuse to be alone. Talk to someone. Talk to me.
XoXo
Karin
