These are unprecedented times. The Coronavirus ordeal seems never ending. There is fear, anxiety, and restlessness all around the world. It’s certainly hard not to feel low in such times. But trust me, this too shall pass.
To help you stay positive and sail through this testing time, here are a few tips:
Keep in touch with friends and family using video calls
While there is no replacement for in person meetings, video calls are the next best thing to keep in touch with your friends and family. Research has proven that maintaining connectedness with close ones can improve mood and infuse a dose of healthy hormones. Certainly, looking forward to speaking with your loved ones is a feeling to cherish.
I know this may not sound new and we anyways stay in touch with our circle of friends. However, with the global lockdown and everyone working from home, it is important to use video calls to introduce virtual proximity. Try doing a video call with your mom next time instead of a normal phone call.
Use social media judiciously
Social media is known to cause a feeling of inadequacy, anxiety, and depression if you don’t keep a check on how much and what you consume on it. Overindulgence on social media will not just leave you guilt ridden for wasting a lot of your time but also lead to self-absorption. You may start feeling even more disconnected with the world and end up feeling depressingly lonely before you realise.
Put a check on how much time you spend on social media by setting time limits. One way iPhone users can block out overuse of social media is by updating your Screen Time from the phone settings. Every time you exhaust your allocated time on a social media website, your phone will lock out that website for the next 24 hours. Similarly, there are many apps for Android users to keep a tab on your screen time. Install one now!
Limit your news intake
Quite honestly, news channels believe in just one strategy – Rinse & Repeat. And the more you listen to the news, the more overwhelmed you get. In this scenario, don’t you feel catching up on news just once a day is good enough? Unless there is a new breaking news, the same headlines are repeated throughout the day! And, unfortunately, given the current situation around Coronavirus, there is only one topic that’s being discussed on every news channel – Covid-19 updates. Also the global lockdown has ensured there is nothing else happening around the world that is worth reporting.
I am sure you agree, catching up with world events once or twice a day is good enough.
Sleep well
I cannot stress enough on the importance of sleeping well. Along with helping your body rest, sleep is also known to have a positive effect on your mental health. So, don’t just count the number of hours of sleep but also the quality of sleep. Practice no-tech-ninety rule – switch-off from your phone, iPad, TV, or computer ninety minutes before going to bed and ninety minutes after getting up. This will help you massively improve your sleep quality.
Set a fixed routine for yourself
It is easy to turn into a couch potato in such times. But, get yourself up and running! Set a schedule first thing in the moning for the entire day. Cook simple meals for yourself and get to work the way you would otherwise. Take those long breaks only during weekends.
Having a set routine helps you feel productive and happy. Do not give up on this.
Maintain a healthy diet
With most restaurants closed, isn’t this a great time to hone your cooking skills? Cooking is a basic survival skill that each of us should learn. And believe me when I say that it is therapeutic. There is nothing more rewarding than cooking a wholesome and tasty mealfor yourself. Perhaps, the silver lining of these troubled times is that we can really begin honing this skills.
There are a wide range of YouTube videos of chefs that you can follow to whip up some great treats for yourself! Go ahead, begin!
And even if you can’t do so, ensure that you still eat healthy. Don’t binge on those packets of potato wafers and biscuits. Rather, try to stick to whole grains. Various studies have demonstrated that a healthy diet results in a healthy mind. You are what you eat!
Anything else that you recommend to stay positive during these overwhelming times? Do let us know in the comments section below.
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