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Mental Wellness and Stress Management During Lockdown
Now more than ever, it’s vital that we gain a better understanding of stress management and mental wellness. Covid-19 has made many of us feel anxious, stressed out, and down, evoking all kinds of negative feelings and emotions, impacting our usual daily lives. Due to the massive spike in the daily cases, our government has implemented another lockdown, hoping to bring the numbers down.
While there are still individuals struggling to find employment, working from home has become a privilege for those still employed. However, it is not without its fair share of tribulations. If not kept in check, one’s stress levels might inevitably increase during this lockdown period due to all the uncertainty regarding work, personal finances, contracting Covid-19, and the worry of mental health to name a few.
The social isolation that comes with the lockdown is challenging for most individuals; nevertheless, there is always a way to look after your mental health with stress management and stress relief. Mastering these two will help keep you on top of your game.
Check-in with Yourself
It is crucial that you take some time out to check in with yourself, and it applies to every individual regardless of age, gender, sexuality, and status. As a result, you will understand yourself better in emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical aspects. For example, being attuned to your mental well-being helps you recognize what you are going through to calm your anxiety and better deal with a given situation, and understand your boundaries with yourself and other individuals in your life.
If you have the time, please check up on your family members and close friends, but don’t forget to focus on looking after yourself. Remember, the only way you can help someone is by being the best you can be. You may know that on an airplane, they always advise you to put the oxygen mask first before you help others put on theirs.
Nevertheless, you may be a busy working-class person or even a single father of two children; it is time for you to check in with yourself. You can start by taking a walk, meditating or journaling in a book or any medium you are comfortable with. Writing things down helps alleviate the burden of mentally remembering everything you want to remember, giving you a better sense of stress relief. Additionally, one cannot underestimate the importance of eating healthy and the role of exercise, which has the bonus of keeping your immunity up during the pandemic and keeping your mind clear from all the clutter and fog.
Five questions to ask yourself while journaling:
- How do I feel today?
- Do I have enough “Me Time”?
- What’s taking up most of my headspace now?
- What am I tired of?
- How can I solve this?
Setting Boundaries
Whether you’re living with family members or housemates, working from home can take a toll sometimes on your mood. For example, they may inevitably do things that distract you during a crucial virtual meeting with your clients, or you may play the music too loud when they are working on a campaign. In addition, small things that trigger you may become amplified after long hours of being confined in the same space.
Before setting boundaries to help with stress management in regards your family, friends, partners, or even your boss, you will need to have them clearly defined. When you have them clearly defined, you will need to take accountability for your actions. It is also your responsibility to communicate with the other individuals your expectations to not step over each other’s boundaries. Everyone has their rights, and with these rights come responsibilities.
Setting boundaries with your family members:
- Working from home does not mean you are free all the time; inform your family members when you are available and not.
- Have your family members acknowledge and respect your “individual time”.
- Ensure the environment is quiet and free from distractions when you are conducting a meeting with your co-workers.
Setting boundaries with your partners and friends:
- Informing your friend(s) to give you a head-ups when they want to have a difficult conversation with you.
- Say “No” when you do not wish to participate.
- Inform your friend(s) when it has taken your headspace. Then, you may re-arrange with them later.
Setting boundaries with your boss and co-workers:
- Suggest having a weekly meeting to have a weekly check-up to know everyone’s well-being and avoid micromanagement.
- Set shorter deadlines for smaller tasks
- Inform your boss and co-workers of your working hours.
- Do not text your boss and co-workers anything about work after working hours unless it is urgent.
Talk To a Therapist
Perhaps for many, seeking a therapist may evoke a sense of shame or that something is wrong with them. However, many individuals are experiencing retrenchments in this pandemic during this lockdown, losing their loved ones, experiencing burnout, and some even diagnosed with Covid-19 disease. With so much uncertainty and things beyond our control, it could happen to anyone, including you and me. We are all in this together and that you are definitely not alone.
Unfortunately, venting to a friend or someone you trust about your issues is not always the best idea. Remember that not everyone has the same capacity to listen to one’s problem, and not everyone has your best interests in mind. Moreover, they may bring the baggage to themselves and feel mentally exhausted for the rest of the day.
Reaching out to a professional is a great option that will provide you with better advice and trained therapists to assist you with stress management and mental health issues. Seeking out a therapist to talk to is one of the best ways to know about your mental state, regardless of whether you’ve been through a traumatizing experience or not, and can benefit you in so many ways.
On top of that, many therapists have made it even accessible for you to get a digital diagnosis with them via a virtual therapy session. We understand that going through a therapy session may be costly; so we’ve taken the time here to list a couple of affordable mental health services for you to consider:
- Seed Connections
- SOLS Health
- CPCS, HELP University
- The Red Clinic
- Subsidized Therapy Session
Conclusion
UnRavel is a digital marketing firm that bridges your business to the digital world, where we provide solutions that unravel your full potential. We hope this article provides you with insights and tips to take care of your mental health and stress management. We hope you can go through this lockdown with us safe and sound.