A New Routine
Tips from professionals
Here are some of the most common tips to take care of your mental well-being:
Prioritize self-care: Take time to prioritize your own self-care by engaging in activities that make you feel good. This can include exercising, meditating, taking a relaxing bath, reading a book, or anything else that brings you joy and relaxation.
Practice good sleep hygiene: Getting adequate sleep is essential for maintaining good mental health. To ensure that you get a good night’s sleep, create a sleep-friendly environment by keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool, and avoid using electronic devices before bedtime.
Connect with others: Social support is crucial for maintaining good mental health. Connect with others digitally, by joining a support group, volunteering, or simply picking up the phone or video call friends and family.
Manage stress: Stress can have a negative impact on your mental health, so it’s important to find ways to manage it effectively. This can include practicing mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, or engaging in relaxation techniques like yoga or tai chi.
Seek professional help when needed: If you’re struggling with your mental health, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. A mental health professional can provide you with the support and guidance you need to overcome any challenges you may be facing.
The New Normal
Especially the early days in the pandemic brute forced us to be creative in a short amount of time. We had to tap on our resources, to make adjustments.
Many of us found ways to do it. We’re still dealing with these changes. And I think early on there was a big push, of people who felt inspired by it all, but I think what sometimes became under represented in the conversation was standing still, taking a pause.
What I mean by this, is that it can be easy to make a TikTok about how inspired you are, and making big goals. But we have no idea how long we will live with the pandemic, what the consequences for our lives are and what “normal” is going to be.
It can be scary, frustrating, tiresome, and a list of other negative emotions. And with that I am trying to say, we don’t have to all feel okay all the time.
Many people are focused on “getting back to normal”, but I don’t think what life was is what life is going to be. We’re not on pause. And over time, the pandemic will not dominate our lives and the news as much as it does now. But we will have changed by then.
And this process is reminiscent to me, of when I experienced depression. Wanting to get back to normal, but also knowing that this wouldn’t be possible, because in time I had changed. And the girl I once used to be wouldn’t return. I could be similar to her, but I couldn’t undo the experiences and how they changed me.
We’re not all experiencing this in the same way, but I can imagine many of us feel like we’re on pause, when in fact we’re not. We should try to have fun, not because right now is an “opportunity”, but because no matter what we do, we will come out of this experience as changed people.
Pandemic Tool Kit
Anna Sail and the audience of Death, Sex and Money created a fantastic Pandemic Tool Kit with things to read, listen to, watch and think about. Let’s be silly, try something new, build a cake. What we do now is able to inspire the person you will be when all of this is over.
Advise given to me
- Learn a new skill.
- Make / build something with your hands.
- Move your body, dance, take walks and exercize.
- Write about life, journal, doodle and sketch ideas.
- Make life smaller, give things time, look and architecture a little bit longer, stare at the painting.
Resources
Death, Sex & Money's Pandemic Tool Kit
Suggested things to read, listen to, watch, think about, and more.
How to be Your Best Self in Times of Crisis - TED
"Life's beauty is inseparable from its fragility," says psychologist Susan David.
Shannon Morse 30 Day Security Challenge
A 30 day challenge to help you get control over your online security and privacy.
Star Talk "The Science of Happiness", with Laurie Santos
Neil deGrasse Tyson, Negin Farsad, and Laurie Santos, PhD and psychologist, investigate the science of happiness.
Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage are champions of science and technology.
Top Tips for Isolation, as told by Astronauts
Article by Ben Lamm on LinkedIn.
Well Challenge (6 Min.) Workout - NYT
Three short workout videos will get your heart pumping and give you a full-body workout without a trip to the gym.
Updates
Anything missing? I’m working on adding more. If you have any suggestions for things that have really helped you, I would really like to hear about it. Stay safe, and take care <3
Originally posted: April 17, 2020.
