3 Things I’m doing for my mental health during the Pandemic
Practical exercises to keep your mind clear.
I am living my second lockdown of 2020, a complicated and painful year with the onset of COVID-19 and a global pandemic.
It means it’s the third month this year that I must stay at home, and the only people I see are the ones who live with me. I know it’s necessary, but it’s still pretty challenging for a hyperemotional and sensitive person.
To keep my mind healthy, I’ve found new exercises and habits and now I want to share some of them with you, hoping to help someone else!
1. Keep a journal
How many nights I couldn’t sleep because my mind was working too fast? I can’t even tell you. When you feel your head is messy and untidy, and you can’t even count your thoughts, I think there’s one simple solution: write them down.
Writing your anxious thoughts can make them disappear, or at least reduce them. It keeps your mind clear, puts your ideas in order, and helps you to track what is important to you.
Then, if you are brave enough to read back your diary, you can notice if there’s something recurrent. Perhaps certain emotions are always generated by specific events or people, in a good or a bad way. In my opinion, if I am aware of which situation causes me bad feelings, I can handle it better.
Please remember that you don’t need to be an excellent writer or keep a daily journal to benefit from recording your thoughts.
Journaling is a powerful way of keeping your mind lighter and more relaxed.
2. Daily gratitude
Even one minute of gratitude per day may change your life. Try to think every day of three things you are thankful for.
This exercise changes your perspective from what you miss to what you have. Once Melody Beattie said, “Gratitude turns what we have into enough” and I truly agree.
I practice my daily gratitude at night, before going to sleep. It’s a perfect conclusion to my day because sometimes I don’t see many little things as I am always in a hurry, and it helps me reflect on an entire day and appreciate it.
If you are having a tough day, being thankful can be hard — I know — but it’s exactly when it’s more important to keep doing it. It could improve your day and, in the long term, it will help you manage your crisis and bad days.
Maybe you won’t list three things, maybe it’s just one.
But it’s an important one.
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” — Willie Nelson.
I am thankful for… my family, a movie, pizza, my dog, the flowers I have in my garden, my health, and my life.
Focus on gratitude has real physical effects on your body and your brain. It’s proven that it increases the release of serotonin (hormones of happiness) and it helps lower the level of cortisol, the hormone of stress.
3. Breathing
It is pretty obvious, right?
But a lot of times during the day I feel I have short and quick breathing or when I am absorbed in something I forget to breathe properly. It seems weird because it should be a natural and automatic thing, but breathing in the right way is not so simple.
You need to practice it.
Deep, long breaths help to slow down your mind and body. They help you handle overwhelming emotions and feel more present.
Try to stay focused on ten deep breaths without making your thoughts wander.
It may be hard at first, but you will have a clearer and sharper mind and even more energy.
“While I breathe, I hope.” — Cicerone.
Conclusion
Remember to take a break during the day to focus on your well-being.
Only five minutes a day before going back to your schedule can make the difference. Journaling, practicing gratitude, and focusing on your breathing will help your day run more smoothly.
It’s important to take care of yourself, and feel good and balanced, especially during this overwhelming time.
These practices come from my personal experience, they are helping me and I hope they could help you as well!
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