As the year continues on, and we work towards the endgame, where we can finally take our masks off, talk to one another, nad be a part of human society on a large level again, we must not forget that things are still up in the air, and that we can still lose ground, or even worse, be infected with a variant that will ignore the immunity that we have from either the vaccine or having already caught the virus. All that said though, one thing that is often left forgotten when we worry about our physical health is that of our mental health. Remaining metally strong, flexible, and keeping your spirits up takes as much work as keeping yourself physically fit and healthy. For those of us who are living along right now, who don’t often get to meet others socially, keeping yourself in good mental health can help keep personal fitness at peak levels as well as make sure we suffer from mental maladies like depression.
One of the simplest things that you can do to be kind to your mind is to take a few moments, even a few minutes, each day to pause and breathe, and let go of the stress in your shoulders, in your back, and on your mind. The causes of these stressors may not disappear but you are not alone to be feeling this way. Many people are feeling the same pressure, often from the same sources, and that just makes it all the more important to step back and notice how you are feeling. Recognizing how you feel, and taking note without letting those feelings affect you overmuch, and then letting them go is a vital method of release. After that, you can reach out to others, whether they be family and friends, or speaking to a counselor, healthcare provider, or a member of the clergy.stay close and connected with loved ones, speaking to them as often as possible. This will let you know how others are doing, and give you a method to vent that is healthy and safe. We are all in this together, which means that the people you talk to will almost certainly understand your anxieties, worries, and thoughts on Covid-19, the quarantine, and how scared we all truly are.
Another method of care that will help your mental health is actually taking care of your physical health. Just like the old idiom, ‘a healthy mind resides in a healthy body’. Exercising regularly will help regulate the hormones and chemicals that run through your body, leaving you with happier, healthier thoughts and feelings. This is not a catch all cure. Mental health is strenuous and difficult and not something that can be solved through a single type of action. Even more difficult than exercising though, is that you may want to take a step back and stop watching content on TV that is upsetting. Even if it is just a day here and there, taking that time away from the news, from the internet, and from other sources of disturbing or upsetting content and letting your mind reset can be a healthy way to cope. We spend a lot of time now inside and glued to the next awful thing to show up on our screens. Perhaps it is time we take a deep breath, do a few push ups and let go of all the things that are driving us up the wall. Even if it is just a few minutes a day, it will help.