How I Support My Mental Health in Times of Crisis

Good morning all, how is everyone doing? I know things are absolutely crazy right now with all of the COVID-19 happenings, and the unknown is causing me (personally) a great deal of anxiety. I know I am not alone in this, as I’ve been seeing and hearing from you that this pandemic has caused you tremendous anxiety, understandably. There is so much that is unknown about this virus, which I am finding to be the most difficult. It is hard not knowing when we will be able to resume regular activities, and when life will go back to normal, as much as possible.

However, in an effort to stay in the present, and worry about the things I can control, not the things I can’t, I’ve been doing a number of things to make my mental health my top priority. Some of these things on this list may seem obvious or intuitive, but maybe they will give you creative ideas to help you maintain a healthy mental state. I’d love to hear what you’re doing for your mental health as well!

1) Light Exercise (gentle walks, yoga, stretching, etc.)

Of course this sounds obvious, but I cannot emphasize how important light exercise is for my mental health. When I don’t spend 30 minutes a day moving my body, I am irritable, anxious and simply unpleasant to be around. Last weekend I found myself feeling super grumpy. It wasn’t until I looked at the clock and saw that I had gone almost the whole day without getting in any movement. You already know how important my daily walks are to me! That being said, during this stressful season of life, it is important to take it easy on your body, and not overdo it in terms of exercise. Listen to your body and do what feels right in the moment. I also love Kait Hurley and Melissa Wood Health workouts.

2) Up Your Self Care

While its become more and more mainstream to have daily #selfcare rituals, I think in particularly stressful times such as these, self care should be a top priority. It can be as simple as 15 minutes of alone time, to a spa-like face mask experience. I personally have been upping my skincare routines lately, because the stress (and poor eating habits/lack of sleep) are really taking a toll on my skin.

3) Meditate

I know it may sound a little cliche, but meditation and relaxation is so important during times like these. Last week on Instagram, I mentioned my favorite apps to relax during times like these. Those favorites are Headspace, Calm and Bloom. Meditation isn’t the easiest for me, but I’ve found these apps make it really approachable and enjoyable! I hope you will check them out and see how they can help you!

4) Get Crafty

Since we are spending so much time indoors right now, I am investing in a number of crafts to keep myself entertained. Seeing as it is spring, I started out by painting some of our terra cotta pots that “live” on our back deck. I don’t know how long the paint will last on them, but think it adds a fun pop of color among the bunch! I simply used acrylic paint that I had on hand! For the more advanced crafter, I ordered this needlepoint canvas to hopefully make a cute pillow for our home. It has been quite awhile since I needlepointed, so let’s hope I’m not biting off more than I can chew!! Crafts are a great way to get the whole family involved. I always have paint, paper and canvases on hand…never know when they might prove to be useful!

5) “Mute” or Unfollow Triggering Social Media Accounts

This has been really vital to my mental health this week. As much as I respect and appreciate people trying to help spread the word on COVID-19 (in this case), all of the information is completely overwhelming to me. I find this to be an appropriate response for anyone in trying times such as these, but if you are an anxious person like me, all of the accounts sharing different (stressful) information can be too much noise. Silence the noise for now, you can always refollow or unmute once things simmer down.

6) Seek Professional Help

Given the current circumstances, seeing a mental health professional in person is a little difficult. However, there are numbers of therapists who will do telehealth sessions, which can be tremendously helpful. If you continuously struggle with your mental health, I would seek out a professional to work with long term. Nothing wrong with seeing a therapist to work out your struggles!