Prioritizing Mental Health During COVID-19
The left side of my bed has a huge dent in it. My pantry has been stripped of anything with sugar, and my screen time has increased exponentially.
Feeling the same? You are not alone.
It’s safe to say that quarantine has significantly changed our lifestyles. We are used to a routine — scheduling and packing our days full of work, friends, and activities, ensuring that we are doing something productive every minute of every hour of every day. When that routine is disrupted, and you find yourselves and your famil(ies) in 24/7 isolation, what happens? For those able to work from home, how do you maintain productivity? How do you fill the role of a teacher with your kids? How do you cope with spending more time with family or roommates than you ever have before? For those living alone, how do you handle what can be overwhelming loneliness?
If there’s one thing we’ve seen through this, it’s that as human beings, we adapt. As weeks and months have passed, attitudes towards isolation have changed, and despite the many challenges, we have managed to push through. We continue to find new ways of fulfilling ourselves while continuing to work, learn, take care of those around us, and stay as healthy as we can.
While there are ways in which we are succeeding, it is still important to note that individuals can be struggling beneath the surface — whether it is anxiety about the future, what seems like a never ending news cycle, or feelings of loneliness that can accompany isolation. To help with these feelings and ensure you are protecting your mental health during this pandemic, there are numerous resources available out there. I have linked some of them below, along with my personal experiences and favorites.
- Exercise. Cardio has been proven to directly stimulate both dopamine and serotonin in your brain, which contribute to memory, focus/productivity, and mood, among other things. By making exercise a priority, you will be making a huge impact on your lifestyle. Be consistent. Set realistic goals. Even if you manage to set aside 20–30 minutes to get your body moving, pat yourself on the back! There are so many at home tutorials out available for free on platforms like Youtube and Instagram that you can take advantage of.
- Meditation. Before I realized how simple it can be, I used to look at meditation as a chore. Over time, I’ve realized that without it, we tend to spend most of our time dwelling on the past or focusing on and worrying about the future. Now, every night, I make sure to get in at least 30 minutes of mindfulness, which snaps me back into the present. I keep a cool temperature in my space, put my phone away, close my eyes and sit back. To help ease you into meditation, check out apps like Calm, Headspace, and Spotify podcasts.
- Limit News Exposure. With less human stimulation in our day to day, we spend more time on our phones and watching TV, where it is hard to avoid seeing notifications and news about the ongoing crisis. While it is important to stay aware and informed, limiting exposure to what can often be negative stimuli can make a huge positive difference to your life. Try and stop yourself from constantly refreshing these sources of information, and set a time limit each day for watching/reading the news. Decrease the number of news sources you check. Mute accounts and individuals that may trigger stress.
- Find a Hobby! We are probably finding ourselves with more time than we have ever had before. It’s important to use this time to invest in yourself — Find a new passion, pick up an interesting book, try painting, do a puzzle, or even learn a new language! Over the past month and a half, I have channeled my restlessness into baking (and eating), which has allowed me to take a break from my screen while learning something new that I enjoy. Try your best to do something away from the screen, and allow your mind to rest.
Many of you have unique situations at home where it might be harder to try these things. It’s also normal to not feel motivated or not find time to prioritize yourself. A trick that I have learned over the past four months is to set SMART goals for myself each day- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Based. If your goal is to spend thirty minutes on cardio on Tuesday, make sure to set mini goals or steps that can help you reach that big goal. For example, set an alarm for earlier that morning so you can finish other responsibilities earlier in the day. Look up a thirty-minute workout and have it saved and ready to go! Wear gym clothes throughout the day so that you do not have to put in any extra effort to work out when you find yourself with some precious free time.
Learn more tips related to the setting prioritizing exercise and meditation, limiting negative stimuli, finding a hobby, and setting SMART goals below:
- 10 Ways to Boost Dopamine and Serotonin Naturally
- What is Mindfulness?
- Getting Started- Mindfulness
- When the daily news causes stress, limit your intake
- 15 New Hobbies to Try During Quarantine 2020 | The Strategist
- SMART goals
Remember to prioritize your mental health. These are uncertain times, and we need all the support we can get. 😊
My name is Ria Nagar, and I graduated from the University of Washington in 2019 with a degree in Psychology and Informatics. I currently work there as a Research Assistant, where over the past two and a half years, I have worked on three different research initiatives focused on adolescents and depression. My latest project explores patterns of technology use within families during the current COVID-19 crisis. I plan on continuing to explore research opportunities at the intersection of psychology and technology at the University of Glasgow as a masters student in 2020. In the future, I plan on receiving my PhD in Clinical Psychology.
