World Mental Day, celebrated on October 10 all over the globe, is a great initiative to spread awareness about issues pertaining to mental health. During a time when the whole world has been facing the bout of the pandemic, apart from physical health, what has been severely impacted is our mental health.
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Covid-19 has significantly caused damage to people, worldwide. People have lost jobs, loved ones, faced financial losses, suffered poor health, isolation, got confined by lockdown, and the list of woes is endless. Cases of depression, anxiety amid health and frontline workers, students, children, adults (living alone or with ailing patients, with pre-existing mental illnesses) have risen quite a lot as a result.
Which is why in such strenuous circumstances, it has become all the more pressing to look for ways to deal with mental health issues.
On this World Mental Health Day, let’s find out about some of the ways we can manage our mental health:
Conduct a worry-drop
Maintain a journal to write down your fears and happy incidents. Continue to write down to track the progress- how long were you anxious, when it got reduced; likewise track your happiness.
Opt for a new schedule, go easy on yourself
Make room for a fresh, adapted schedule which would include scope for cancellations. Adaptation will take time. Remember the cognitive and emotional load must be dealt with care. To safeguard our emotional well-being, it is necessary to embrace the possibilities of change that are not in our control. Focus on what is in our control, like health, fitness and taking precautions.
Manage stress threshold
Prioritize your mental health by laying down a solid foundation that revolves around:
i. Exercises: to ensure better sleep, mental peace and reduced stress.
ii. Sleep hygiene: avoid watching mobile, TV or laptops 30 minutes before going to bed.
iii. Clean eating: Avoid junk food, overeating or not eating regardless of whether you feel low or not.
iV. Meditate: Incorporate at least 10-minutes meditation in your daily routine as it boosts mental health.
Stay connected
While we need to maintain social distance, that does not mean emotionally too we have to be distant. Have virtual gatherings, video calls, and stay connected with your loved ones. Know that feeling overwhelmed under these trying times is completely normal.
