Maintaining Your Mental Health As The Pandemic Continues

While some relaxations to the countrywide lockdown are now being introduced, many people are still battling through difficult and unusual times, and as a result, concerns over the mental health of our nation are mounting. 

If you’ve always struggled with your mental health and are finding that the pandemic has amplified your symptoms, or are facing new waves of anxiety or depression that you’ve never experienced before, there are ways that you can help yourself to stay balanced and rational as Covid-19 continues to disrupt our lives.

For each of the following suggestions, it may seem easier to give the advice, than to follow it, but as in all circumstances of our lives, we can only ever do our best, and provided that you try, you will have every reason to be proud of yourself and to look forward to a more enriching future.

Learn to center yourself

If you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘center yourself’, it simply means to calm your emotions and slow your mind, something that is best achieved through simple breathing techniques, and when you’ve mastered it, you’ll feel alert but relaxed, and much better equipped to deal with anything that life throws at you. Talking to a qualified counselor or therapist about this can help you to better understand the techniques and teach you how to center yourself as and when you need to.

See the pandemic as something that will pass

It can also be helpful to see the pandemic as something that will eventually pass (which is of course, true), and to bring your gentleness to how the situation may be making you feel right now. Take opportunities to broaden your mind during this time and learn new things (in addition to watching TV show to unwind from time to time).

Set yourself realistic goals

With pressures on all of us from social media, friends, family and work colleagues to come out of this lockdown as better versions of ourselves, it can be difficult to recognize and come to terms with what we can realistically expect ourselves to achieve. Can we come out of this situation slimmer, speaking a new language and being able to bake a loaf of bread; perhaps more importantly, do we want to?

Find some goals that will make you feel fulfilled and be prepared to adjust the boundaries according to the situation. Social pressures can be intense and if you find them getting too much for you, take a break from social media, and re-join when you’re in a more grounded frame of mind.

Go easy on yourself

Remember that this journey is different for everyone, and that if you’re finding it hard during lockdown, you can bet your bottom dollar that others are too. Take the time to think about all your good points, all the things that people love about you, and know that these things will not have changed once the pandemic is over. Be kind to yourself and others and allow yourself the time to get used to what may be a new normal.

If you need to talk about any issues related to your mental health, please also remember that most good counselors are offering telehealth services, so the lockdown need not stand in the way of you getting the help you need.

Learn more at: https://heartcenteredcounselors.com/