Ways to Lift your Spirits During COVID-19

During this time of COVID-19, it’s not only important to take care of our physical health, but our mental health as well. Staying inside all day can make us stir crazy. Not being able to see loved ones in person can cause a sense of loneliness. Both obstacles can affect our mental health in a negative way. Thankfully, there are a few ways to make sure we keep our mental health on track.

 

-Video Chat with Family & Friends

Even though we cannot see our family and friends in person, we can still see them virtually. There are plenty of video services. A few popular ones are Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, and Zoom. A few minutes with them can make us feel like we’re not alone in this world. If access to a smartphone or a computer with a webcam is a problem, there is always the option to just pick up the phone and call friends and family.

-Call a Therapist

Thanks to telemedicine, your usual therapist might be set up to do telemedicine as well. Give them a call to find out what their working hours are and if they are using telemedicine. There are also hotlines to call, or text, if you feel like you need to talk to someone. If you, or someone you love, is not currently seeing a therapist and would like to start, see if you can find one that is offering telemedicine or call one of the hotlines. There is always someone there to help.

-Exercise

Go for a walk around the block. Just make sure to keep your distance from others that might be doing the same. Add some variety to your exercises by going for a bike ride instead of a walk. It will make exercising more fun. Working out inside is fine too. There are plenty of workout videos on YouTube that everyone can do at home. Just be conscious of your neighbors and or others working at home with you. If you live in an apartment, skip the jumping jacks.

-Practice Meditation or Yoga (or both)

Meditation and yoga are great forms to help us relax at home. It takes some practice, but there are apps and videos to help with learning how to meditate and do yoga exercises properly.

-Give yourself a project

Do a project around the house. Now is the perfect time to clean up and organize the linen closet. If cleaning isn’t appealing, make a craft or experiment with a new recipe. Not only will it give you something to do inside, but it will give yourself a sense of accomplishment once you finish that project.

-Eat Healthy

This might be a time where eating junk food is tempting. Working from home may also lead to eating more. Try to stay away from junk food and stick to a normal work routine when it comes to eating. Stick with normal lunchtime hours and do not heavily snack in between. 

-Keep Your Routine

Wake up at the same time, even if you are working from home. It will make things easier to get up to go to work when asked to return to the office. If you usually go to the gym when you get home from work, go for a walk after you sign off for the day. It is important to keep some sense of normality during this challenging time.

-Stay off Social Media and Avoid Distractions

There are many news articles out there and it might be too much to handle at times. Limit time spent on social media and other news websites. Some websites have a way where you can block keywords. Use these tools if it becomes too much. When working from home, stay off social media and don’t watch TV. Instead, keep some relaxing music on if you need some background noise. Puzzles, coloring, and reading are great ways to stay off the internet and keep your mind at ease.

 

Please stay home as much as you can and practice social distancing. Stay healthy!