How to protect your mental health during the COVID-19 crisis

There are many reasons your mental health may take a knock right now, from fear of contracting COVID-19 to financial stress and not being allowed to spend time with your friends and family. Then there’s the uncertainty that goes with a global pandemic where even the experts don’t have the answers to our most pressing questions: When will it end? Will life ever be ‘normal’ again? Will a vaccine be found? If you’re struggling to find calm in the current storm, you may find it helpful to implement the following simple strategies.

Focus on your family
It’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed when the world is full of uncertainty. But, rather than focusing on those things you can’t do anything about, try to invest your time in the things you can control. Start by making sure that you’re doing everything you can to keep you, your family and your home safe – wear a mask every time you leave your property, practise social distancing and wash your hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Next, make time for regular check-ins with your household to find out how your partner and children are coping and to give them the TLC and support they need.

Keep moving
Regular exercise is key to keeping you mentally strong – Mayo Clinic explains that it “may help ease depression and anxiety by:

• Releasing feel-good endorphins, natural cannabis-like brain chemicals (endogenous cannabinoids) and other natural brain chemicals that can enhance your sense of well-being
• Taking your mind off worries so you can get away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression and anxiety”

So, make sure that you get outdoors every day during the allocated hours, if your  schedule allows, and if it doesn’t, prioritise exercising indoors when you’re home.

Watch your media consumption
With statistics and new research results – not to mention misinformation – flying in from around the world 24/7, it’s easy to find yourself checking in at all hours of the day and night. According to Psychology Today, “watching the same type of frightening news or devastating stories over and over again can increase our stress and therefore act as a threat to our future health. Exercising moderation and setting reasonable limits on media consumption can help protect us from this threat.” So, instead of hitting the refresh button on your go-to news sites every few minutes, try to limit the amount of time you spend catching up on the news each day – your mind will thank you for it.

Take care of yourself
In times of high stress, it’s not unusual to spend so much time looking after those around you that you forget to take care of yourself. Part of the self-care process is recognising what you’ve lost as you adjust to a new way of living – and allowing yourself the space to grieve. If you’re looking for a few good ideas to include in your self-care regimen, head here.

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