When you are in a difficult situation that sees no positive results or end it is not uncommon to become sad or depressed. During the most recent coronavirus outbreak, I have noticed a lot of people who have been struggling with their mental health or taking care of themselves in general because they are so sad. When the government advises you to stay home to protect others it is not hard for many disabled people as we are used to this type of living but for many abled people who are always on the go, it is a huge change. It is driving many people crazy because they don’t know how to entertain themselves or what they should be doing all day that doesn’t involve leaving the house. It can be a bummer being stuck in your house all day but if you are constantly on the go this can be your opportunity to start taking care of yourself if you usually don’t. Taking care of yourself during a pandemic is more important than ever but is a struggle for many who are depressed. If you let your self-care start to lack here are a few things you can do to get it back on track.
Remember this will pass- Some days can be tough and so boring but one thing we all need to remember is that this too will pass! I can’t tell you when that will be but I can tell you that this coronavirus pandemic will not last forever and at some point, it will be a distant memory and come to an end. If you are bored at home it might feel like this is lasting an eternity but remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel and eventually you will have your life back.
Don’t tell your friends to chill- If your friends obviously have high anxiety about the current situation and send texts out of pure panic the last thing you want to do is tell them to chill or just relax. Your friends just want to make sure your safe and it is not helpful when you make them feel as if they are overreacting but it is kind if hurtful your acting that way. Just give them an update even you think they are being too paranoid and have nothing to worry about.
Turn off hourly news updates- Obviously, you want to stay informed about the current situation so you are taking the right precautions to prevent from getting sick but you don’t need to watch them every hour unless you really want to. Conditions might change some every hour but it won’t be that much and if watching the news makes you crazy stressed cut down on how much you watch it. Instead of watching news updates every hour try turning it on once or twice a day as it will make you less stressed to have the news on less often.
Join a positive community- If you are on social media you have probably read a post about the coronavirus or written one yourself. I have to be totally honest I am sick of reading these types of posts because that’s all people write these days but I know it’s important. It’s important that as a content creator we talk about this but let’s remember life still goes on during the coronavirus and there are still other important issues we need to discuss outside of the coronavirus. Not everyone wants daily coronavirus updates and if you are part of a community that is giving you daily reminders of how you are going to die without necessary precautions then you need to think about the community you are involved with. It’s important we all take this seriously but we don’t need to create more panic because some of us are already panicked enough and we could all use some positivity in our lives right now.
Feed your body good nutrition- You should always try and feed your body good nutrition but sometimes we can afford to slack a little bit but now is not the time to do that. Feeding your body nutritious foods will help strengthen your immune system so if you were to get sick it will raise your chances of being able to fight it. Some people with weak immune systems still might have trouble fighting illness if it were to strike but feeding your body good nutrition can help nourish it back to health faster than junk food ever will.
Stay hydrated- Your body needs water to function so make sure you are drinking enough of it. It can help prevent medical problems like migraines or constipation that will put you in complete misery so get your recommended intake!
Change your mindset- Taking care of yourself also means taking care of others by being considerate when you go out and staying home when you are sick even if you don’t have the coronavirus. Some people have a really bad attitude about this and will say something like “I have a strong immune system and could fight this so I don’t have to be as careful. Yes, this might be true and you might have a strong immune system that could fight this but you still have to be careful when you go out because you could come into contact with someone who doesn’t have that and even if it’s not the coronavirus some people can’t fight illness easily and even the common cold can become life-threatening. Don’t be selfish and change the way you think about this by not going around spreading germs if you’re sick!
Make a list of positive things in your life- During this time it can be very difficult to stay positive and it can automatically trigger negative emotions for a lot of people. Remember that even if you are depressed from being stuck at home there is someone who is in a worse situation than you and something positive can be made of a bad situation. If you struggling to see the positives of your situation make a list of some positive things that have happened to you in the last few days. It could be as simple as you get to spend more time with your family or finally had the motivation to start a healthy lifestyle. Through difficult times it’s important we all see the positives of a negative situation because you will become depressed and go crazy if you don’t!
Try yoga/ mediation- Yoga and meditation have been proven to promote relaxation and help you control your anxiety with your breathing. If you are feeling more anxious than usual but can’t go to the gym because they are all closed search for a Youtube video focused on Yoga or meditation for the time being.
Get some fresh air- Being cooped up inside your house all day can make anyone crazy so unless your state has given you strict orders not to leave then go on a walk. I see no harm in walking around your neighborhood and getting some fresh air as long as you are taking necessary precautions to be safe.
When events that you have been looking forward to for months have to be canceled because the government told you that staying inside was the best option for keeping everyone safe it can be disappointing. It can be difficult to take care of yourself when you feel this bummed but you have to remember you are not alone and there many others who are in the boat. Some things in our life have been put to an immediate halt and there is nothing you could have done to prevent that but taking care of yourself shouldn’t stop and should always have a high priority even if you feel there is no point. Sometimes when you are busy you don’t have much time for yourself you neglect self-care so now is a perfect time to get into a routine. It is never too late to start taking care of yourself and doing more things for yourself and less for others. Doing things for others is a good thing but it is not selfish to want to do something for yourself every and a while but is necessary for your health. How are you taking care of yourself during this pandemic?
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