It's a Pandemic, not a competition!

It’s a pandemic, not a competition! – Looking after your mental health in times of uncertainty.

As the COVID-19 pandemic develops, impacting virtually everyone on the planet, it's normal to feel that things are hitting the proverbial fan. We are now into our second month of social distancing, self-quarantining and working from home and many of us have found a routine to keep us going and sane, while having bouts of negativity that attack your whole being, every now and then, is inevitable. This could rationally be because of the many obvious reasons. First and foremost, the alterations in our lifestyle combined with developments and changes taking place around us every single day clearly has an impact. But hey, we all are in this together for once and what better way than to keep calm by giving one another a little pep talk on things that have helped us until now and will help us in the coming days. A little positivity goes a long way they say

Out of all the useful, innovative and mainstream things you can indulge in to maintain your peace of mind and stability, I've listed a selection below that can help you day in and day out and are easy to follow as well:

Circle of Trust

This is the time to invest in connections that feed your soul and your mind. Give yourself a break, disconnect to some extent with everyone and touch base with only those who can relate to your individual situation and mindset at the moment. It could be your immediate family that understands your position well, your closest friends that relate to your state of mind and/or your partner. Be mindful of who you talk to and share your high and low tide thoughts with, not everyone is on the same page, even if you think so because we all have our own unique inbuilt mechanisms to deal with stress and changes.

This in no way means that you should ignore and cut off from people, but limiting interaction to specific people will help channel your energy and thoughts in the right direction. You'll also be able to save energy and focus on many other things that you won’t be able to do if you keep excessively socializing (virtually I hope), something that we all have been guilty of at some point of this self-quarantine phase. So, don’t arrange that Zoom call if you don’t feel like it and instead just relax or finish that book that’s been lying on the table since November 2019!

Limit your Digital Appetite

Digital appetite is at an all time high! We all are impulsively checking our mobile phones and laptops much more frequently than we usually would. And what’s happening? We are consuming more and more information from different channels.

We might not realize it, but reading and knowing too much can put your mind into a downward spiral, especially if you aren’t able to process what is currently happening. This is something that most of us have been dealing with right now because all this is very new to us and thus can trigger negative thoughts and anxiety to a certain extent. Be your own parent and restrict your screen time. I know that it's easier said than done, but once you make it a point to keep information limited and access only reliable, trustworthy resources, you will automatically feel calmer and motivated.

Most local news channels and websites give you realistic updates and have many positive articles on their pages each day, so stick to these. In addition, make a point to browse through fun stuff like Pinterest as well or look into a course or certification program you were perhaps trying to complete in the past few months. The more you align your day around positive digital data, the better you feel about your surroundings and lifestyle.

Wishful Thinking

We all have been there; we all have been dreaming of better days and better times and comparing our lives to what it was just a month ago.

Although it's highly recommended to keep your spirits high in these unimaginable times, we all must be able to distinguish between truth and fantasy. Things will change and they will change for good. The old times will be back soon but we must be careful of setting the standards realistically for when this lockdown is over. You might be feeling low and you will start to imagine a lot of scenarios, but keep your hopes closer to your reality because once this is over we all have to go back to our normal lives and no one wants to make this process harder than it needs to be. Don’t day dream and make your future look completely over the top. Do not go overboard with your thoughts and try maintaining a rational approach.

The more you practice mindfulness, the easier it will be for you to go by your daily chores and it will be much easier for you to slip into your old life once things are back to normal. Some of the many ways to keep your mind from slipping away is working on office projects, meditation, cooking and watching Netflix. Easy but good ways to kill time and to keep sane.

And lastly, remember that ‘every sun has to set’! This too shall pass.