It is known that this epidemic, which continues to spread more actively all over the world, causes some psychological problems. The pandemic process, which causes problems such as depression, anxiety and panic, causes us all to live a very tiring and bored period. But even though the process challenges us psychologically, there are many things we can do to protect our mental health.
Anxiety, which understandably increases in times of global epidemics, can be associated with both the fear of the virus itself and the forced separation from other people. However, there is more than one way to protect and improve mental health in such times.
It is very important for us to protect our mental health during this period because the uncertainty we are in as we wait for the pandemic to pass is extremely harmful to us. Therefore, the first thing we should do is to reorganize our daily lives without thinking about when this uncertainty will end.
Maintain Your Routine
Daily routines can play an important role in maintaining mental health. It may be advisable to create a few new routines for this new world. This routine may include: sleeping and waking up at similar times each day, exercising regularly, using specific times to work and rest, eating healthy and maintaining personal hygiene... Adhering to such factors can increase motivation and improve overall mood and well-being .
Reach Out
As many people around the world are encouraged to stay home and limit their physical contact with others, feelings of isolation may be increasing. To prevent this isolation from negatively impacting your mental health, it's crucial to reach out to others.
Use technology to your advantage and try to connect with family members and friends you can't see in person through video calls or group chat.
Feeling more connected to people in times of crisis and having the opportunity to talk about possible concerns and positive experiences with others is crucial. For those with limited social networks, developing this network can be seen as an opportunity that can be turned into an opportunity during the pandemic period.
Ken Do Something for Your Mental Health
One way to improve your mental health is to stay busy. If you are isolating yourself; Learning a new skill, increasing your sense of purpose, and boosting your self-esteem can be great ways to improve your mental health.
Using your time to pursue something that interests you, whether that's cooking, enrolling in an online course, or learning a new language Regardless, you can keep your mind active and strong as you go about your day.
Seek Help
If you have an existing psychological problem that has been exacerbated by COVD-19 or perhaps if you are developing new anxiety or depressive symptoms, it is important to seek professional help.
Many psychologists are already working online during the pandemic period. Therefore, those who need emotional support can still get the help they need.
Stay Active
Exercising regularly not only improves physical health but also mental health. It is known to heal. Research has shown that regular physical activity is effective in reducing anxiety and depression in all age groups and may also be beneficial in reducing age-related cognitive decline.
Whether you're limited to indoor activities only or have a garden or outdoor space you can use, There are many ways to stay active and safe during the pandemic. Yoga, stretching, or high-intensity interval training or exercises that require minimal equipment or time can even be found online. These can be done both indoors and outdoors. Alternatively, walking, running or cycling can be a great way to boost endorphins and improve mood.
Limit Social Media Use
Staying at home Due to increased time, individuals may be spending more time on social media sites, including those that broadcast news. While the use of such sites can be beneficial for staying connected and informed with others, it can also worsen mental health.
Overexposure to information about pandemics can lead to increased anxiety and distress. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic A cross-sectional study conducted among Chinese citizens during � found that more than 80% of participants were frequently exposed to social media. Additionally, according to this study, anxiety in the sample was observed to increase with frequent social media use.
Based on this evidence, to avoid harming mental health, I recommend that you obtain information about the pandemic only from reliable sources once or twice a day at most. .
Practice Awareness
Mindfulness is the practice of observing what is happening both within and outside of us, moment by moment. It is known that using mindfulness practices to increase our attention to our thoughts, emotions, feelings, and the external environment can improve our mental health.
A variety of techniques can be used to achieve this, and multiple mobile applications can be downloaded that take the participant through guided exercises. Mindfulness techniques also improve the ability to help identify early signs of stress and enable individuals to better cope with them.
A study investigating the effect of daily mindfulness practices found that those who practiced it were less anxious and had fewer sleep problems than those who did not practice it. He tells us his experiences. So mindfulness techniques can be used to help people cope with anxiety-provoking situations.
Read: 0
