I think we can all agree that we are all tired of being at home.
However, staying home and quarantining is the most vital tool we can offer our families against COVID-19.
These are challenging times for everyone. Many of us have taken on new roles as caretakers and workers. With the kids home all day while you also try to work from home and so many other new changes, it’s amazing we haven’t all gone crazy! Still, we must remember to take good care of our own mental health. To continue to perform at the highest level, we must perform weekly mental health checks.
You can use this short checklist to keep up with your mental health during these troubling times:
- Value Yourself - Be kind and forgiving to yourself. It can be easy to be critical of ourselves in the face of adversity, remember to give yourself room to make mistakes and adjust to the times.
- Take Care of Your Body - Physically taking care of yourself can help improve your mental health. Put time aside to stretch or workout to keep both your body and your mind in good health.
- Surround Yourself with Good People - Strong family or solid connections generates healthier mental health. Finding and maintaining these connections can be hard while quarantining. I recommend hopping online and interacting with others through social media, video chats and even video games.
- Learn How to Cope with Stress - Practice good coping skills. Research effective ways to reduce stress. Meditation or finding new hobbies to use as outlets can help manage stress.
- Quiet Your Mind - Meditation, mindfulness, and prayer may improve your outlook on life. Finding comfort in your belief system can help calm the noise in our own heads.
- Set Realistic Goals - Be realistic and set goals that you can accomplish. Give yourself something to work towards, completing a few tasks a day can help you find a sense of purpose while in quarantine.
- Break Up the Monotony - Add a little spice to your daily routine. Learn a new recipe, gain skills you’ve always wanted, spend a day binging your new favorite TV series. No matter what you choose, its important to switch things up a bit.
- Avoid Alcohol and Other Drugs - Keep alcohol use to a minimum and avoid other drugs. It can be incredibly easy to build bad habits by self-medicating during these hard times. Remember that the choices you make today, define the person you become tomorrow.
- Get Help When You Need It - Seeking help is often viewed as a sign of weakness, not a sign of strength. I’m here to tell you firsthand, that mindset is false and will only hold you back. Seeking treatment can be astonishingly effective in dealing with mental health issues and people who receive appropriate care can recover and lead full and rewarding lives. It’s never too late to seek help
Hopefully this helps, take good care of your mental health with these At-Home Therapy Tips!
