Prioritizing Mental Health During Difficult Times

The world is going through a very difficult phase right now. None of us could have ever imagined a time like this. It’s a fight where each one of us has a role to play and for most, that role is by staying indoors. Social distancing is the new normal and it has been so in many parts of the world for some weeks by now. Amidst all these scary occurrences and changes, are you paying enough attention to your mental health?

Why Mental Health?

There is no doubt that our lives have been turned topsy-turvy at this moment. Many have lost their livelihoods during these trying times. Others are working from home if their jobs allow doing so. Meetings have become virtual and offices have been confined to screens. At the same time, essential workers are braving it out in their workplaces. Add all these to the constant stress, anxiety, and fear that comes from the concerns of becoming ill- and you have every reason to not be in the prime of your mental health.

I find that even though I am comfortably ensconced within my home, with a loving company and no worries about food or medical care availability, I am phenomenally stressed out. I can only imagine what others are going through and even then I may not fully understand the extent of the impact. What I do understand though is that it is crucial that we take care of our mental health if we want to endure this period successfully.

So today, let’s talk about prioritizing mental health- in whatever capacity we can. Let’s just focus on one day at a time and put one foot in front of another and start a journey where we reclaim our mental health.

What Can You Do?

I am sure that many people, like me, have already searched the vast realms of the internet to know about ways to deal with the stress and anxiety during this crisis. There are some very good articles out there giving sound advice and mentioning concrete actionable steps that you can take for your mental health. Some of the popular and effective measures are as follows-

Meditation for handling anxiety.
Talking to your loved ones.
Doing something you love- it could be a long-lost hobby or a try at a new activity.
Exercising to release those endorphins.
Limiting social media exposure.
Curating the news you listen to or read.
Taking a relaxing bath.
Decluttering a space- physical clutter can lead to mental chaos.
And my personal favorite- Taking a nap!

All these are some excellent ways to nurture your mind while you stay put in your home, worrying about the world. At the same time, I also want to talk about certain other steps that you can take to make it easier to prioritize your mental health at this moment.

The Intangibles of Mental Health Care

The aforementioned steps are all actionable and concrete. While those are awesome, I have found that I often need to take certain intangible actions in order to be able to take those tangible measures. Maybe you are like me and find it to be not so easy to just start taking time off your schedule for a nap or a relaxing bath. If so, then these steps are specially for you.

1. Acknowledge What You Are Feeling

One of the reasons why it is difficult to address mental health is because often we are afraid to acknowledge what we feel. When stressed out, my tendency is to avoid giving in to my emotions. Because, if I do so then it becomes real.

But here’s the thing- we cannot try to improve something if we do not accept that there is something to be improved in the first place. So, take a deep breath and accept those feelings of anxiety and fear that you are having during this time.

2. Permission to Heal

Give yourself permission to take some time (or a lot) to heal. Understand that mental health is paramount and it can affect your physical well-being severely at times. Thus, it is essential that you take the time and invest the energy required to heal your mind without feeling guilty.

Your tasks will always wait for you. There will always be a schedule to adhere to and things to be taken care of. But all that becomes moot if you do not take care of yourself, especially during a time when our lives have changed so much and there is a constant threat of an illness.

3. Know Your Triggers

Most of us have specific things that set off our anxiety response and these are our triggers. For example, I find myself to be stressed out when I read news articles about how the virus is affecting my home city where my family lives.

By knowing your triggers you can somewhat anticipate your response. And if required, you can manage to stay away or limit your exposure to such occurrences.

4. Body Scan and Release the Tension

Well, this isn’t exactly intangible but is highly effective. There is this basic meditation practice where you are asked to focus on each body part at a time and it is called the body scan. When you feel anxious, you tend to hold that tension in certain muscles of your body- hunched shoulders, clenched jaws or fists.

So, the next time you feel tense, take 5 minutes to do a body scan. Start from the top of your head and go down. Release the muscle tension and try to relax. This physical activity has a profound impact on our stress levels, thus improving mental health.

In The End, You Have The Power

It is essential to remember that we have great control over our well-being- both physical and mental health. These are some of the most stressful times that we are going through right now and it is crucial that we take care of ourselves so that when the time comes to restart, we can do so with vigor and hope. And by prioritizing our mental health, we can ensure that we endure with grace.

Till then, stay safe, stay home and stay brave.

Peace.

Do you have any related experience or story to tell? Please share in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.