Many are starting to go stir-crazy after a week, and for some more, of adopting isolating behaviors to slow the spread of Coronavirus. What started as a frightening inconvenience has turned into a daily struggle to keep our spirits up. For the uninitiated this has proven an ardent task, so for the benefit of all we’ll explore some tips and tricks for your mental health to survive this coronavirus quarantine.
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Relationships Are Imperative To Mental Health
First and foremost, relationships are imperative to your mental health. The absence of close relationships leads to high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and even stroke. Indeed, short periods of forced separation can cause depression or anxiety within days. So to avoid the mal-effects of isolation, hold onto and foster your relationships through text, phone calls, video calls, or social media.
Make your space, being confined to a smaller area, especially when working from home, can make normal routines elusive for even the most mentally resilient of us. Create clear boundaries by not working from historically home spaces, such as your bedroom, couch, or kitchen. Design an area dedicated to work, adding work-related items and tools as well as office tchotchkes to mark the space. This will help you make the mental shift from the working day to leisure time in the evening.
Dedicate a small portion of time to tidying, while some might prefer a looser, messier setup, there are some great benefits to keeping a clean space. Clutter tends to make people feel negative emotions like confusion, tension, irritability, and worry. Cleaning for as few as 10 minutes has been found to reduce anxiety, and can help you feel more in control.
Not only does a clean space cause positive emotions like happiness, a sense of wellbeing, and calm, but the actual cleaning itself helps too. Americans say cleaning the home causes:
- 70% a feeling of accomplishment
- 61% a de-stressing effect
- 54% relaxation
Create a routine, our brains like predictability, so the more of a set schedule you have for yourself the better. Some things that you might find helpful to add to your routine:
- Change out of your pajamas to get mentally prepared for work
- Exercise, use a video on YouTube if you want some direction
- Go for a walk, the fresh air will clear your head and give you a change of scenery
- Limit news, try a weekly sit-rep instead of checking in every day
With the right tools you can stay mentally healthy, no matter the situation, now go and kick that quarantine in the butt!
Learn about other useful tools for mental health to survive this coronavirus quarantine here!
