Hey guys! It‘s great to have you here again! Today I am going to talk about how this time in lockdown can affect your mental health and what to do about it.
I have consciously been struggling with mental health for about two years now. I‘ve had anxiety attacks before, I just didn‘t recognize them as such. My struggle with anxiety comes from a fear of diseases and sudden death. This is a result of insecurities and instabilities in my every day life. So, I get that during this time of major instabilities and massive changes there are a lot of reasons for anxiety. But this lockdown has also been great for me because I finally had some time to reconnect with myself. I found the time to calmly sit down and relax and do some of my hobbies again. And I also started my online business which has given me new confidence, a great supporting community and (what I feel is almost the most important part right now) the ability to earn money from home.
So this has mostly been great for me but I totally get that it hasn‘t been good for everyone. A lot of people lost their jobs which brings a lot of insecurities and financial pressure.
The struggle during this time is that it feels like our lives have been put on hold and noone knows what‘s going to happen. Even though they are already lifting some of the restrictions in Austria there is no guarantee for everyones safety. But! We can do a whole lot for the safety of our mental health!
If you have been struggling with anxiety in the past, now is the perfect opportunity for it to come out again.
1) Do you feel isolated? If so, try to reach out to your friends and your family. We‘re all in the same boat here, trust that people want to talk to you because chances are that they are feeling just as isolated.
If you don‘t want to talk to anybody right now go out for a walk or do a workout or go for a run or do Yoga. Anything that moves your body can help to take your mind off things so I definitely recommend giving that a try. And I don’t say that to remind you to get that summerbody ready but for the psychological benefits. When you are doing office work you use a different part of you brain then when you move your body. And it also releases “happy” neurotransmitters, which is always good, right?
2) Are you feeling lost? Maybe you have had a very structured life before and that is what kept you sane.
Give yourself a daily routine, make a habit out of it. This routine can be anything you want it to be. My favourite way to start the day is getting a quick workout and stretch in right after I wake up and a good breakfast afterwards. That way I have already moved my body which always makes me feel good and I had a clear start into the day. (If you feel sick or if you hurt yourself this might not be the right way for you to start the day. Just remember to do what feels good for you!
3) Treat yo‘self! When was the last time you had this much time on your hands? I can‘t remember when that was for me so I am using this time to treat myself to some binge watching, cooking tasty meals and long walks.
4) Are you feeling paralysed? Is there way too much to do and you don‘t know where to start? Or maybe you have no idea what to do with your life right now?
Writing a To-Do-List can help you get a clear view on your to dos. I am a sucker for lists. I think they reeeaaally help you think and they tidy your head. For real! But don’t feel obligated to accomplish all the task you can come up with at once.
Of course, you can also binge watch Disney+ or go lie on your bed and stare at the wall or read a good book (I recommend „You‘re a Badass At Making Money“ by Jen Sincero). Take your time!
5) Get a sleeping rhythm! It really improves your mood and helps your body to have a frequent sleep cycle. Treat yourself to a nice cup of tea or turmeric latte or whatever it is you enjoy before your scheduled bed time to give yourself a routine (again a routine).
Remember there‘s only so much you can do. Most of the things that are happening right now are out of your hands. Ask yourself: Have I done everything I can about a topic/concern/problem? If the answer is ‚yes‘ then you can stop worrying! If the answer is ‚no‘, think about what you can do and what would make you feel better. And always do what makes you happy.
I hope those points can help you improve your well-being during this time. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or just want to talk about your own experience with mental health during this time.
See you soon,
Ingalisa