Mental Wellness in the Midst of a Global Pandemic
2020 has been truly wild so far, and it’s only August! This pandemic has changed so much and in a very short time. We do all have one thing in common though. We’re all stuck at home! Being at home all the time has forced us all to slow down and to look at our lives under a microscope… If you’ve found a ton of things that need fixing (literally and figuratively) don’t panic, you’re not the only one. It can all be really overwhelming and it’s times like this that your mental wellness should be a priority. This was a hard pill for me to swallow but this is what I have learned so far.
Be gentle with yourself
There’s so much pressure to come out of this pandemic having achieved loads of things. Yes, it is a great time to evaluate where you are and where you want to be but don’t put too much pressure on yourself! It’s easy to make yourself feel bad when your friends are on Instagram posting about completing her third online course, or bragging about starting another business. Don’t be bothered, understand you are looking at a highlight reel and know that you can do all that and more in due time – you don’t need to compare your life to anyone else’s high-light reel right now. We’re collectively living through a traumatic event, you do not need to be productive 24/7. Do what you need to do to get through this!
Start with some small changes
It is a good time to reflect a little on your lifestyle before COVID and ask yourself, do you want to carry this into the “new norm”? If not, then change it! Try using this time to ease yourself into some new good habits, especially ones that will benefit your mental wellness. For example, trying free online work out classes are a lot easier than signing up for a gym membership. Seeing a therapist for mental wellness is like taking vitamins for overall health – everyone should be doing it to keep ourselves healthy. Understandably, it can be a bit overwhelming but online therapy is a perfect place to start. You can do it from the comfort of your own home and many therapists like online-therapy.com are offering discounts for new clients.
Communication is key
Maintaining healthy relationships can be a bit tricky at the moment too. Being forced to spend so much time with spouses/ partners/ family/ housemates/ children is not easy. Similarly, it can be hard not seeing friends or family that you don’t live with. Communication is absolutely key in maintaining healthy relationships. If you need space from your spouse, tell them! And don’t take it personally, if they tell you that they need space too. Go into another room and pop on your headphones or go out for a walk. Getting out of each other’s hair for a couple of hours will help so much. If you live on your own or away from friends and family, it can feel quite isolating so try to organize zoom catch-ups or face time calls as much as possible. We’re all going through a lot right now so we need to talk even more than usual!
If you’re finding it particularly difficult, please don’t worry. There are loads of wonderful resources available. Websites like online-therapy.com are offering free resources like worksheets, yoga and meditation videos, activity plans, journals, and even more. They’re also offering a 20% discount for new clients – so it’s an excellent way to try therapy, if you’ve wanted to try it before, or if you’re finding that you’re struggling a bit at the moment. Don’t worry, you got this!