9 Practices to Help Maintain Mental Health During the Coronavirus Lockdown
When you are locked inside a house with nowhere to go, it can become frustrating. This is because humans are groomed to be social creatures who are used to freedom.
So, during this time of coronavirus crisis, when we have to stay inside our houses, it will be very difficult for many people to survive.
For starters, we would be confined to our houses; we cannot indulge in any outdoor activities like meeting friends. This will slowly affect our mental health in a similar way to a person stuck on a lonely island.
To avoid such a scenario, here are a few practices to help you survive the lockdown.
1. Change Your Attitude :
The first step of any mental issue is to change your perspective. While in this case, many people are seeing as a punishment enforced upon them.
Moreover, it was someone’s mistake for which they are paying for. Both of which are powerful narrative which can alter anyone’s mind.
So, instead of that, think you are given time to organize your life. This would kickstart your journey.
2. Stick To Your Normal Routine :
As mentioned before that humans are social creatures, and we are also a slave of our habits. So, that is why we resist changes to our daily routine.
For this exact reason, you need to stick to your pre-quarantine routine as much as you can. It is tempting to relax as you are working from home, but this would have a counter-productive reaction. So, it is better to avoid it.
3. Stop Watching Coronavirus News :
Currently, the world is obsessed with coronavirus, whether it is the media or users on social media. After a period, all this coverage will make you sick.
Hence, it is important to stay away from it. You can play video plays, watch old movies or do anything else. Just don’t let the word coronavirus echo in your ears for a few hours daily.
4. Keep Your House Clean :
There is a lot of chaos going around the world; no one is certain about what will happen in the days to come. So, if you live in a house with similar conditions, it can be very tiring.
Hence, keep your house organized, neat, and clean. Don’t eat in bed or work in your shorts on the sofa. You have dedicated spots in your house, use it.
5. Start A New Ritual :
As we know, we can’t do a whole lot with the lockdown in place. So, to replace the existing ritual, why don’t you make a new one.
You could connect with your old friends or family. Or watch a new episode of a web series each day. Anything which occupies your mind for an hour qualifies as a ritual.
6. Connect With New People :
The biggest advantage that we have in this day and age is the internet. You can do anything if you want on the internet.
One of the best things is to connect with new people. With everyone in a lockdown, people would be more open than ever. You can talk with these friends, and talks for hours on end.
Who knows, you might even find the one you were always looking for.
7. Meditate As Much As You Can :
A lot of researches has been done on meditation, and all of them prove that it helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
In this time of great uncertainty, nothing is better than calmness. If you are facing problems meditating, then you should start by slow breathing. This would also reduce the anxiety inside you.
8. Engage In Feel-good Activities :
Now, we understand this is a very vague practice. But with this, we mean that you need to indulge in fun activities like watching old movies for nostalgic purposes or reconnect with some of your old friends.
These activities will make you happy and reduce the tension inside your mind. Any activity which makes you happy should be on the schedule list daily.
9. Live The Present :
A very common mistake that people are making during this coronavirus lockdown is that they are worried about the future. Such as losing their job or falling into irrecoverable financial issues.
The problem with that is, you are not the reason for the problem, and it is a problem that everyone is facing.
The government will surely do something to help everyone. So, why waste your present worrying about your unpredictable future?
So, these are some of the practices you can indulge in to maintain mental health during this time of coronavirus lockdown.