With the uncertainty of each passing day during a global pandemic, things can get very stressful as well as scary. Stress can have a negative impact on our health, but most importantly our mental health.
Most people don’t like talking about mental health because there’s such a stigma surrounding it. However, talking about mental health and getting help is 100% okay! Mental health is not a personal failure. So many people are often experiencing the same things as you. Yet, you may not even realize it because it’s not talked about as much as it should be. As someone that suffers from a mental health disorder, I can say that with 100% certainty, doing things to improve your mental health will improve every aspect of health and wellness in your everyday life. The Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) states that, “Mental health is an important part of our overall health and wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It may also affect how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices during an emergency.” (CDC, 2020).
Tips for Your Social and Emotional Wellness
There are many things that you can do to improve your mental health and take care of yourself during these hard times. Mental health not only has to do with our emotional wellness, but also our social wellness. For example, not being able to hang out with people like your friends and family during this pandemic has been really hard on people. It makes them feel like they are alone, which can lead to depression, anxiety and stress. However, it does not have to feel that way. There are different ways that you can still “see” your family and friends just in a safe and responsible way.
Here are a couple of ways to stay socially connected:
- Set up a group video call with applications like, Zoom, WebEx, FaceTime or Google Meet.
- All of these applications allow you to video chat with multiple people at once so you can talk “face to face” in a safe way.
- Play games on the phone with each other
- Many iPhone and Android game apps have multi-player options where you can play games with people even if they are not with you. It’s a good alternative to a game night!
Both of these virtual strategies can improve your social wellness during COVID-19 and lockdowns. It is still very important to talk and see people because everyone needs some sort of human interaction, I know I do or else I would go crazy.
Let’s move onto some things that you can personally do for yourself to improve your mental and emotional health while being alone. When taking into consideration the eight (8) dimensions of wellness, specifically emotional wellness. This article by California State University Northridge (CSUN) suggests to “Practice techniques that promote relaxation and help to manage stress—deep breathing, guided meditation, yoga, aromatherapy, and progressive muscle relaxation.” (CSUN Klotz Student Health Center, 2020).
There are so many resources all over to help you out with all these things. Here are a few strategies for your mental and emotional health:
- Visit streaming services like YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify where you can search for guided meditation soundtracks; hundreds come up!
- I have done so many of these during quarantine with my roommates and they leave you with a sense of calmness and relaxation. Doing these outside is also so calming and it leaves you feeling like you’re Intune with nature and gives you a feeling of power and strength.
- Try deep breathing exercises.
- this is a good way to try and relax when you’re feeling stressed or having an anxiety attack. Urban Balance published an article explaining all the benefits that come with deep breathing exercises which include: decreasing stress and increasing calmness, relieving pain, and increasing energy just to name a few. This article simply and briefly explains how to do some deep breathing exercises. If you’re a visual learner like me, you can search the term “deep breathing exercises” on YouTube and lots will come up.
- Reach out to someone and ask for help. There are many online counseling services like, Talkspace and BetterHelp or contact your local doctor for suggestions. The best thing we can do during these unusual times is to help and support each other. Remember, that it’s okay to not be okay.
References
CSUN. (2020). 8 Dimensions of wellness- COVID 19 resources. csun.edu/shc/8-dimensions-wellness-covid-19-resources
CDC. (2020). Mental health and coping during COVID-19. cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html