How To Improve Your Mental Health During The Coronavirus Pandemic

In order to preserve our physical health from COVID-19, the federal government issued a “stay home” order but they failed to take our mental health into cognizance. It’s absolutely no one’s fault, that’s the best possible approach they could use. Nevertheless, an apparently large number of people are sinking into depression of one form or the other on a daily basis, many are anxious and worried about their jobs, their health, their families, and their finances.

What is Mental Health?

According to the World Health Organization, “Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

Mental health involves our psychological well-being, productivity, ability to make independent decisions, and be in control of our lives. I can categorically say this pandemic has taken that away from and those who seem to have control over their lives, fought to have it back, which you can do also.

How Do You Preserve Your Sanity in These Times?

Below are some golden tips on how to preserve your sanity:

1. Have a Confidant:

This is very important, and I will hammer on it as much as I can. Get someone you trust enough to tell what’s on your mind, how you feel, and what you want to do. Open up to someone and I understand it might be quite hard for some people but then you can’t bottle up your feelings, you have to release it somehow. If you have a confidante already, or someone you talk to, lucky you.

2. Have Fun:

I know this sounds like an irony, what will be on your mind is “how am I supposed to have fun in the house” but it’s possible. You can see movies, watch interesting programs on the television, watch comedies, laugh. Note, laughter releases endorphins, a hormone, which eases stress. If you love cooking, cook! Try new recipes, watch cooking videos.

If you want to dance, dance! Learn new dance steps, make videos of you dancing and share with your friends. If it’s a singing video, do it. Make yourself happy, be free, and maybe, for now, behave as if you have no worries. In fact, you have no worries. Everything is on lockdown, remember, even worries.

3. Develop Your Spirituality:

Get closer to whatever you believe in, be it you are a Christian or a Muslim, get closer to God. Build a perfect relationship with him, meditate on his word daily; the Bible, or the Quran. Listen to songs, read books that relate to that path, and listen to sermons. Most importantly, pray! Unburden your heart unto God.

4. Develop Yourself:

Self-development is a crucial part of mental health because it builds resilience (a mental ability to recover quickly). You can do that by reading self-help books if that’s your sort of thing, watching self-help videos and you can take online courses or find other ways to develop your soft and hard skills. Learn something new while staying at home and practicing social distancing. My next post will be on soft skills.

Stay safe!