As many of you have probably noticed, the topic of mental health has started to be given more attention, importance and recognition from society during the recent years. It is becoming a relevant issue due to the public finally recognizing that it is a huge struggle for nearly one in four people at some point in their life. And now during lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become more important than ever to maintain a good mental state. Studies have shown an increase in suicide rates, depression, anxiety and alcohol and drug consumption during quarantine. These numbers have been more drastic among those most affected by the pandemic such as teenagers, young adults and adults. Many factors come into this such as increased isolation, uncertainty, economic hardships, reduced social opportunities and domestic violence. And although many of these factors are inevitable and not much can be done about them, there are little things one can do to maintain an emotional and mental well-being during these tough times that can make a big difference. Here is a list of simple things one can do to have a good mental health during the lockdown
1. Stay in touch
Perhaps one of the most important self-care practices one can do to maintain a healthy mental state during these times of lockdown is to stay in touch with others. Call a friend, talk to a family member or a loved one. Isolation and loneliness are the biggest factors affecting everyone’s mental health during lockdown. It is emotionally exhausting, not being able to see friends, family members that live far away and not being able to attend social events. So it’s very important to stay connected with others in any sort of way. Call, text, chat, make a video meeting with your family, and friends and maintain communication as much as possible. It really helps.
2. Play board games
Speaking of staying in touch, how about playing board games with your family or online games with your friends? It is a great way to relax, have fun and connect with your loved ones. It might very much be just what one needs to feel less lonely, stressed and isolated during lockdown. There are so many amazing games to choose from and the options are endless. Moreover, many classic board games that weren’t available online before have recently become accessible on the internet as well, so they can be easily enjoyed and played online.
3. Exercise
Exercising is an amazing way to maintain a healthy emotional and physical state during lockdown, since it releases endorphins (hormones triggering positive feelings and well-being) into your body and acts as a natural anti-anxiety treatment, relieving tension and stress. Moreover, exercising can greatly boost your confidence and self-esteem since you are practicing self-care and keeping your body strong, fit and healthy. Not many people realize how impactful and effective exercising is and how it can drastically improve your mental health. There are countless tutorials online, apps, articles, etc. with different exercises to do for any part of your body, requiring little space and no equipment, so you can easily do them at home.
4. Get Enough Sleep
It’s important to maintain a healthy sleeping schedule and trying to have at least 8 hours of sleep per day. It will help you feel much more energized, motivated and focused throughout the day, while sleep deprivation will make it hard to focus, concentrate on your work and by the end of the day you will be exhausted. Many people (especially teenagers) stay up until late at night doing their tasks and unfinished work, only to wake up feeling tired and miserable. This can negatively affect both your mental health and your physical health. Instead, go to sleep at least 9 hours before your alarm and try your best to manage your time well throughout the day to avoid doing assignments last minute late at night. There are many apps that can help you fall asleep and track your sleeping schedule. So if getting enough sleep is something you’re struggling with, try one of those apps and consult your loved ones.
5. Eat healthy foods
Gaining lots of weight, snacking on unhealthy food and living an overall unhealthy lifestyle has already become a meme since the beginning of lockdown. But in all seriousness, it’s very important to keep eating those fruits and veggies and avoid consuming to much junk food. Eating a balanced and healthy diet is not only amazing for your body, but also for your mental health since you start to feel good about practicing self-care and nourishing your body with minerals, nutrients and vitamins. Snacks, candy, chips etc. will make you feel good in the short run, but as soon as this sensation is gone, you will be feeling bloated and unhealthy, which will then make you feel unmotivated and lazy. The better you eat, the better you eat. Spend some extra time preparing that salad instead of grabbing your cup noodles.
6. Go outside and get some fresh air
I am entirely aware that it’s not always possible to go outside nowadays due to the Covid-19 restriction, but if you can, I would highly recommend you do so, even if it’s for 5 minutes. It is such a refreshing feeling to go outside, move your body and breathe fresh air after being stuck at home, sitting in your room and doing assignments all the time. This feeling of being “stuck” in one place for weeks is a major factor contributing to feeling lonely and depressed, therefore, taking that small break in-between studying or doing your tasks and going outside for a bit might be just what one needs to feel energized and motivated again. Don’t forget to wear a mask!
7. Have a warm bath or shower
This isn’t necessarily the most sustainable thing to do, but once in a while, I would highly recommend having a warm bath or having a longer shower. It is very relaxing and calming to bath in hot water to “wash off” the stress. It can effectively reduce the feeling of anxiety and nervousness, which is something that a lot of people feel during times like these. Spending some quality shower time can really make you feel refreshed and more energized, so light some candles, listen to music, lie down and enjoy the hot water after a long stressful day.
8. Meditate
Meditation is long known to be an amazing self-care and mental health practice for centuries, and there is lots of reasoning behind this. Meditating, even for as short as 5 minutes a day will start having an significant impact on you if you start meditating regularly. The benefits of meditation include better focus and concentration, lower levels of stress and anxiety, improved self-awareness and being kinder towards yourself and others. Moreover, meditation can impact your physical health and help you with improving your pain tolerance and pain relief. So try dedicating 10 minutes of your day to mediation. There are numerous videos, apps and guided meditations online for you to follow. If you aren’t sure where to start, download the app “Headspace” and follow their 10 free guided meditations sessions.
9. Watch movies and TV shows
Getting invested in a good movie or a tv show is a great way to relax and enjoy yourself. Grab a snack, cuddle up in your blanket and enjoy watching. You can watch alone or ask your family to join. It’s more fun together anyways. Moreover, there are many apps and websites where you can stream movies and tv shows while being on the call with your friends. However, it’s very important to avoid spending too much time on screen, especially since many students already spend hours in front of their computer during distance learning. So use this in moderation and try to spend your time away from screen as much as possible.
10. Read a book
Quarantine is the perfect time to narrow down your book list and finally start reading your favorite novel. I know that many students, especially from S6 and S7 have very important exams coming up in a month so they don’t have much time to read and become emotionally invested in a book. But for those who don’t have their lives dependent on their exams right now, reading an interesting book is an amazing way to spend your time. No only does it get you emotionally invested in an interesting story, but books are also great for boosting your intellect, thinking and imagination. So instead of spending hours on your phone, meaninglessly scrolling through tiktok and instagram, consider starting to read a new book. They are a great way to relief stress, relax and enjoy yourself while also learning something new and boosting your intellect.
11. Cook or bake something
For all my baking lovers, now is the perfect time to cook your favorite dish or learn a new recipe. Cooking something you love, especially if you are good at it and enjoy it is a great self-care practice since you are doing something that you like and enjoy the process. And for those who never tried baking or cooking, I highly recommend you try it out. It can be very therapeutical, especially if the outcome is rewarding. You can call your friends and cook with them over video or invite your family to join you. There are thousands of recipes online of just about anything so grab your ingredients and unleash your inner Gordon Ramsey.
12. Listen to music
Listening to your favorite artists is just about the most therapeutical thing you can do to yourself during lockdown or just any time when life feels heavy. Listen to music while doing homework (unless it distracts you), while doing chores, while doing anything you don’t like. Personally, I couldn’t survive without music and I listen to it everyday. Maybe it’s not the same for everybody, but music really helps me get through a lot of difficulties and gets me relaxed and happy. I associate many memories in life with certain melodies and songs and music brings life to many moments in my life. And I hope it does to you to.
13. Do art or any sort of craft
Lockdown is the perfect time to invest in your hobbies and get creative. You have all the time in the world to create beautiful paintings, sketches and crafts of any kind. Doing artistic things can drastically boost your creativity, imagination and confidence, which is something many struggle with in isolation and in general. Besides the benefits of creativity, art can also help to reduce the feeling of anxiety, stress and depression. Your imagination is your limit and you can create whatever your soul wants.
14. Play an instrument
Learning how to play an instrument is an amazing thing to invest your lockdown time into. It can greatly improve many cognitive and physical aspects of the human body and has proven to improve cognitive and muscle memory. Moreover, playing an instrument teaches you perseverance, discipline, and responsibility which are important skills for just about anything in life. Playing music also fills you with a sense of accomplishment when you finally mastered a song or a difficult chord. In addition, playing an instrument will help you feel at peace, relaxed and distracted from feeling lonely and stressed during lockdown.
15. Learn something new and start a new hobby
This tip is quite similar to the previous two, but the idea is to start learning something new and master a new skill or hobby. It can be anything: sports, programming, communication, trading, art, music, sciences etc. Improve in an area you always wanted to improve in. Work on yourself. Lockdown is the perfect time to invest in your self-growth and take a step further towards becoming the best version of yourself. Many universities are now offering free online courses on any discipline, sign up to one of them and learn something new. This will help you feel more accomplished and will strongly benefit you in the future.
16. Don’t lose track of your goals and plans for the future
Even when in times of uncertainty and confusion like these, we mustn’t lose track of our goals and plans for the future. It is important to keep working, studying, communicating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Make study plans and think about your future goals and how you are planning to achieve them. Having some sort of plan for your future (this is especially relevant for S5-S7 students) is going to keep you in a healthy and productive mindset and won’t make you feel that anxious and uncertain about the exams, tests and the university.
17. Help those in need and donate
Finally, an important tip to help you cope with the lockdown is to practice gratitude and helping those in need. By helping others who have been most affected by the Covid-19 lockdown such as small businesses, medical workers, young entrepreneurs etc. one starts to feel better about their current situations and becomes grateful for the situation they are in. Your mind stops focusing on the negative aspects of your situation, but rather the positive ones. After-all, we are not in the same boat, but in the same storm.
I hope you will find these tips helpful and that they will make a difference!
If you ever feel lonely, depressed, anxious or stressed in the current situation, know that it is absolutely normal to feel that way and that your emotions are valid. It’s stressful, not knowing when you will see your friends, not knowing how lockdown will impact your grades, exams, university applications etc. Always feel free to reach out to any of the
ESV News team, our school psychologists and the peer-to-peer education team.
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