Preserving your Mental Health during Pandemic
The Covid 19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented amount of chaos in the world. This has definitely lead to a steep and unpredicted rise in cases of anxiety and depression. Every body’s mental health has been harmed regardless of profession, or age group. Adults, the geriatric population are stressed and so are the teens and the kids. Every person is aware of the ongoing critical scenario, although it has been a ‘far from normal’ circumstances, this does not mean we have to choose to suffer.
It definitely will take time, but eventually, every thing will fall into place. People falling sick, grieving families of the ones who lost the battle to coronavirus, to the people working from home, overburdened by the responsibilities and work, the frontline workers, kids who are locked inside houses, every person stuck with dysfunctional or abusive families, every single person today suffers the psychological and emotional consequences.
Eventually at the end of the day, we’ve got to find our own unique little ways to deal with these mental health issues, because the only way out is through. Here, mentioned are some of the ways to deal with the cognitive and emotional rush and rise above the chaos:
TALK!
Majority of people, in an attempt to not bother others, do not speak about these issues. The power lies in the realization that every person around you suffers from the same problems. There is stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, body aches, fear in every one you encounter on a daily basis. In this case, talking and listening becomes our strongest weapons against the mental and emotional turmoil we feel inside us. Let it out!
Talking about them leads to spreading of compassion, understanding and warmth, which are much needed these days. As you start talking, you realize it’s not just you, or it’s not just your friend, but it’s every other person suffering.
Practice mindfulness and meditate
Mindfulness refers to the practice of staying in the present, as you begin to notice, you’ll realize, amongst all the chaos, all the mess, you’re not really present in the present, it’s either the past, or the future, or some other stressors which have occupied your mental space. When you start working on being mindful about your overt and covert behaviors, the levels of stress come down considerably.
Whatever you do, in the course of your day, be aware about it, give it your all, it sets you up for a flow, this flow, works wonders and alleviates the stress, the fear and negative feelings which have been a source of agitation for you in the past.
Meditation is something that most people tell you to do but probably won’t do it themselves. It’s a powerful practice which helps you establish a good amount of control over your mind and eliminate the harmful thoughts. There is a considerable amount of cognitive activity taking place inside your mind at any given point in a day, even as you’re asleep, your mind is working, restoring the muscles, the dreams, it’s all a sign that your brain never really rests, and that rest, comes from meditation.
Carve out a time slot
How long has it been since you spent time with yourself, without your smartphone in hand? Or when is the last time you took a walk in the nature?
Probably quite some time. Try to take out some amount of time for yourself, paint, walk, create something, listen to the music, a podcast, or read a good book. A time slot which is yours and your alone, think of it as a date with yourself. This will keep you aligned with your values, goals and aims. There’s nothing greater than self awareness when you wish to start working on yourself and wih to learn how to regulate your emotions.
Mental health organizations
During this pandemic period, many important organizations facilitating mental health wellness have come forward to offer their services to a wider audience in the times of need. Such organizations are helping in every way possible to help individuals work on their mental wellness as well as provide a safe space to express themselves. One of the initiative commenced by Fortis Mental Health is their 24x7 stress helpline +91 8376804102
One of the companies emerging in this stressful period is Ennobler Private Limited who are extending their stress management courses to a wider audience. They help people train their mind in building resilience, dealing with stress and meditative techniques which has helped many till date.
Nationwide vaccination drives have been operating on a full fledged level, but there’s still a long way to go. Much work is needed in terms of managing ones mental health, the importance and attention which mental health issues previously lacked are now gaining recognition all over the world. With time and efforts, we will reach a level of understanding and hopefully, people suffering from mental health issues will receive adequate treatment and response.
