May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and right now, taking care of our mental health is more important than ever. We are in the midst of a global pandemic, and there are a lot of unknowns. The world as we know it has changed, and it continues to change more every day. Many of us are adjusting to working from home for the first time, and some are balancing work with caring for (and sometimes homeschooling) kids. So, how do we also prioritize mental health during quarantine?
First of all, for whoever needs to hear it: this is a lot, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. It’s okay to feel scared and anxious. It’s okay to to have days when your biggest accomplishment is getting out of bed in the morning. Honestly, I’ve had my good days and my bad days, but I wanted to share the things I’m trying to remember during these crazy times.
- Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you should work all the time. My “desk” is our dining room table, and since I don’t have to commute home from the office, it’s very easy to just keep plugging along. But, unless I have something truly time-sensitive and urgent to finish, I make sure to step away from my computer by a certain time each night. This doesn’t mean I won’t respond to an email or two, although I try not to do that either, but there has to be some sort of work/life balance…even when work and life happen in the same space.
- Find a screen-free activity to do every day. I don’t know about you, but without in-person meetings, hangouts and gym classes, I’m spending much more time with my screens. It got to the point that I didn’t even want to read on my Kindle anymore, so I took the opportunity to order some “real books.” As I shared in this post, I’ve also been coloring, and I just started my first embroidery project. It’s definitely good for my eyes and my brain to take a break.
- Don’t compare yourself to strangers on the Internet. I saw something like this once and it stuck with me. Of course, it’s easier said than done, especially with that extra screen time. But, remember that there’s a lot more to someone’s life than what they post in their feed. And even if their feed is pretty close to their reality, it doesn’t mean anything about yours. Follow accounts that take your mind off things, make you smile, and share thoughtful, meaningful messages. Two of my favorites on Instagram right now are @positivelypresent and @mellow.doodles. Highly recommend.
- Let yourself feel your feelings. This is scary for a lot of people, but so necessary. I’m fortunate to have a great therapist who I video chat with weekly, but there are other ways to accomplish this: set up a regular chat with a friend you can be honest with, start a journal, record videos that you never need to publish, lock yourself in the bathroom and have a good cry. Whatever it is, find a way to express what’s going on inside your head and your heart. Like I said before, we are in an unprecedented situation and there is no right way to deal with it.
- Give yourself (and others) some grace. Piggybacking on number four, it’s so important to remember that we’re all human. Adjusting to a “new normal” is hard, and everyone is struggling in their own way. Be gentle with yourself and do what you need to do to get through each day. I’ve been baking (and eating) more cookies than I have in a long time, but it’s bringing me such joy. I’ve also been taking virtual boxing classes, which is helping me feel stronger in a time when it’s easy to feel powerless. This is not our regularly scheduled programming. Keep that in mind and take care of yourself.
One note, as I’ve shared before, I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder and it’s something that I struggle with daily. Yes, my anxiety has been worse on some days during quarantine, but that’s not what I wanted to focus on here. Everyone’s mental health is important, whether you have a clinical illness or not, especially at a time like this. The things I shared in this post help my anxiety, but they also help my overall mental health, and I hope they help you too.
