Is the quarantine beginning to get you down? Is lockdown affecting your mental health? Well, you’re not alone.
Many people are struggling with their self care during the COVID-19 quarantine. But, there are some things you can try to improve your mental health and take your self care into your own hands.
Be Positive
It sounds trite, but focussing on positive aspects of the world can really improve your mental health. You can try and read positive quotes to get some ideas for what will make you feel better. Try and take everything one step at a time, so that you don’t get overwhelmed with the negative things in the world.
And, try and be grateful for all of the good things you do have going for you. Think of positive things in your life, and write them down — consider starting a gratitude journal. You can also try out meditation and mindfulness, which will help you adopt a more positive mindset in your everyday life.
Having a positive mindset does actually help improve your mental health. So, it’s a great thing to incorporate into your self care routine.
Pause The Media
The constant barrage of bad news on social media and other platforms can be a huge drain on everyone’s mental health. If you’re a person who constantly checks your social media platforms, consider deleting them from your phone to lessen the amount of time you spend scrolling through.
If possible, take at least several days a week away from social media. If you constantly have the news on in the background, consider changing the channel once in a while.
It’s important to stay informed, but there’s a limit before it begins negatively impacting your mental health. Take in information in moderation.
Work Out
It seems obvious, but keeping up your physical exercise is an important part of any self care routine. Studies have proven that exercise improves your mental health.
But, it’s up to you to choose what exercise you want to do. If you enjoy running, run! If you’re more of a yoga person, do yoga. It doesn’t really matter what form of exercise you choose, as long as you actually do it. Here are a few other forms of exercise you may want to try out:
- Pilates
- Lifting weights
- HIIT Workouts
- Skipping
- Step aerobics
These are just a sampling of the activities you may want to try. Do what’s best for you!
Love Animals?
If you already have a cat, dog, or a different type of pet, a great way to practice self care is to hang out and cuddle with your furry friend.
Or, if you don’t have one yet, why not adopt yourself a new family member? That way, you can feel great about giving a needy animal a good home, and practice self care by enjoying the company of your new dog or cat (or snake, or bird).
Many people have jumped on the adopt a pet train during this difficult time, and they all seem to love it!
If you’re not sure you’re ready for a forever friend, you can also try fostering an animal to get used to the idea and see if it’s a good fit for you.
Take Plenty of Breaks
Just because you’re in quarantine doesn’t mean that your life isn’t still stressful. Working, kids, family obligations, domestic labor — the stresses of everyday life are all just compounded by the pandemic.
So, it’s still important to take breathers whenever you can and make sure to take time to do things to relax. Unwind in front of your favorite television show, take a long relaxing bath, or read a book you’ve been meaning to get to — do whatever makes you feel best, and what helps you unload the stresses of your daily life.
Reach Out To Your Loved Ones
Just because you can’t be with your friends and family in person, doesn’t mean that they won’t sill be there for you. You can simply call or Facetime your loved ones to keep up with each others lives. Or, you can take an even fancier approach.
Start throwing zoom parties so that you can play games and drink all together. Use a screen sharing app to have a group binge-watching session. There are so many ways you can continue your social life in quarantine, and that’s a major way to improve your self-care.
Plus, socialization is a two-way street. Your friends and family will also feel better when they have more social interaction!
Find a Professional
There’s no shame in reaching out to a mental health professional if you’re really struggling with self care. A mental health professional can help you work through any difficulties you are having and help you come up with better coping strategies so that you’ll be able to feel better, faster.
And, there are tons of counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists that are available for online appointments!
See what your insurance covers and doesn’t, and look into what options are best for your health and your wallet.
Self Care During Quarantine is a Process, Not a One-Stop-Shop
Ultimately, self care during quarantine isn’t a checklist you can tick off. You’ll have to work on finding what’s right for you, and what feels right for your self-care process.
Are you interested in learning more about self care, and other, related topics? make sure to read over some of our other blogs!
