3 Tips: what you can do to support your mental health
- Try a journal – reflect on all the things that make you feel positive and keep telling yourself about those positive things
- Anchor yourself – get a routine and structure in place for each day
- Keep talking – don’t bottle things up. Reach out to friends, family and services to talk about mental health, emotions and stress
During the COVID-19 pandemic, looking after our mental and physical health has never been more important. The implications for us all are far reaching and in coaching, we have started to explore with and support our clients to prepare for a VUCA world, one that is: Volatile Uncertain Complex and Ambiguous.
It has proved difficult to know who to trust and what information we can rely on. Have you been watching the government daily briefings, reading the newspapers or watching the news more than usual? Have you found some of the information confusing, contradictory? Just a few of the controversial headlines include the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE); the international comparative number of cases and deaths; the apparent lack of protection for our care homes; and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on BAME (Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic) communities. Getting to one agreed version of the truth and the way forward is still proving to be a challenge. But there are also the wider consequences which adversely impact on our mental wellbeing.
Many people have suddenly found themselves either completely out of work or are subject to furlough. Those who are able to do so are working from home. Health is a concern for those who have been unable to access services for routine and planned NHS care. Unrelated to COVID-19, the tragic and untimely death of George Floyd has led to protests across the world and has galvanized many, from all walks of life, to take different forms of action.
Added to all this are our fears about the economy, employment and the future. All of these things are contributing to what we see as the VUCA world, one in which there no easy solutions. People will feel out of their routines and comfort zones, away from colleagues and friends and unable to be with loved ones. The things that ordinarily will anchor us have suddenly been replaced by uncertainty. Now, more than ever, we need to look after our mental and physical health. So what can we do to strengthen our resilience and reboot ourselves?
There is a wide range of things that we can do to contribute to better mental and physical health. The foundations are a good diet and sleep but here are some others. Of course, you already know these this, but when we feel stressed, it is sometimes the most obvious and basic things that we stop/forget to do…
- Music is my favourite therapy, guaranteed to lift my spirits and highly portable ♫♪
- Exercise – I have done much more walking recently (with my headphones on) and have made some wonderful local discoveries. Online there are a plethora of exercise sessions that you can follow; the gyms may be closed but you can go online anytime, in the comfort of your home
- Cooking/baking – both my children are great cooks and have delighted in sharing pictures of their achievements. I have made a long list of post lockdown food requests. I now have flour but there’s no sign of yeast so my bread-making will have to wait. But I recently conquered brown stew chicken, a tasty traditional Jamaican dish; take a look at the culturally curious section for the recipe
- Talking – maintaining meaningful communication is really important and keeps us feeling connected.
- Learn something new – on Mothering Sunday, the day before the lockdown was implemented in England, I gifted my foster mother with my old smartphone and gave her a crash course in WhatsApp. Undoubtedly the introduction of a new gadget has brought some stress, but this is more than compensated for with the joy of seeing loved ones through a mobile device, in real time
- Art in all it’s wonderful forms
- Perhaps you look to something more spiritual such as praying or meditating.
- Knitting and sewing – in addition to her usual favourite knitting hobby, we persuaded my foster mother to get the sewing machine out and she has produced several face masks. We’re just awaiting the arrival of elastic…another lockdown shortage!
If you feel that your symptoms are becoming more serious or are not responding to your own self directed support, contact your GP, refer yourself to an IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) for support with anxiety disorders or depression. You could also contact a local voluntary sector support service such as MIND.
There are an abundance of options available…but “do nothing” is not one of them.
What’s your therapy?