11 Ways to DIY Therapy to Improve Mental Health During Coronavirus

The coronavirus outbreak dominates the headlines of almost all the countries, and it has become a part of millions of people. People from all over the world are asked to self-quarantine themselves, and the ones who are identified with this virus are kept in isolation.

Understanding the circumstances around us is vital if we want to survive and fight this global health situation. In these days of lockdown and self-quarantine, it is possible that your mental state might get a little disturbed, and chances are that you might as well feel a little depressed and overwhelmed.

To make this time a little easy for you, we here bring to you some ways by which you can retain your mental health during coronavirus pandemic.

Improve Mental Health During Coronavirus

But first, let us make ourselves aware of coronavirus.

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a global disease caused by the ‘novel coronavirus.’ It is highly infectious and it first began in Wuhan, China and started spreading across the rest of the world. The world is yet to introduce a vaccine that can protect or treat coronavirus. Millions of people are infected with the disease, and there are about thousands of people who have died from this deadly virus. This COVID-19 is not like the same coronavirus that normally circulates among humans causing mild cold and common illnesses.

COVID-19 is a disease that mainly affects the respiratory system in humans. It is contagious and can spread from person to person involving a liquid medium or mucus. This new coronavirus, namely ‘novel,’ is not seen among humans before this. This is why it is advised to stay away from each other as much as possible and abstain from any sort of human contact.

Tips to Take Care of Your Mental Health during Coronavirus or COVID-19

As per scientists and doctors, pandemics like this can ignite a sense of fear, erratic behaviors, and anxiety. When fear takes charge of our body, both our emotional and nervous system goes to an overdrive. This is when we feel emotionally unstable and panic.

Taking care of our mental health during such impulsive conditions is extremely important. Also, if anyone has prior mental illness then pandemics of these kinds will only worsen the situation. Increased anxiety and stress will only affect your heart rate, your digestive function, and will also cause fatigue and weakness.

So if you are also feeling frustrated, restless, or anxious during this lockdown or self-quarantine, then we are here to help you with some strategies that will improve your emotional and mental well-being.

So without much further ado, let us begin with a few ways that will enable you to balance your mental health during coronavirus pandemic.

Give Social Media And News a Miss

Coronavirus seems to have spread its legs everywhere. Starting from news on the radio and television to social media. The news about this issue is often terrifying and disturbing. Therefore to check your mental health during coronavirus, it is important to stay away from these sources.

limit your exposure to the news and also customize your feed on social media. Regardless of this global pandemic, you should always watch and follow things that make you feel good.

Our brain can solve problems on its own, and when we are feeding it, things that are generally fearful, we are creating a never-ending vicious cycle of fear and disturbance. Our brain then distorts and deletes any general information that does not coincide with our natural emotional state of fear. This is when it reinforces more reason to worry.

Therefore to keep panic and fear at bay, you should reduce your exposure to news to just 10 minutes a day and also set a limited time for your social accounts as well.

Trust Only Verified Sources For Information

There are several mediums and sources that can provide you with the news of coronavirus. But it is advised to only trust the legitimate ones. Some of the trustworthy sources of COVID-19 include the World Health Organization (WHO), Centres For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), and U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

It is advised to adopt a more analytical approach towards the news of coronavirus. Also, it is recommended to verify the news before you share it with you’re your friends, family, and relatives.

Also, it is important to intake only the necessary and relevant information. There is no need to consume everything and then disturb your mental health during coronavirus.

Know About The Perspective Of Things

There is no need to panic and unnecessarily become restless during coronavirus outbreak. Remind yourself and take a deep breath that people who are suffering from coronavirus will only experience mild symptoms. This is just a phase, and it will pass, so don’t lose your perspective about things and stay focused on having stable mental health during coronavirus.

As per sources, there is work done for people who are being affected by a coronavirus, and also senior citizens are being kept in check who are known to have some underlying issues.

Relevant information includes washing your hands and staying away from people as much as possible. This is what you can do to contribute to society and your family during this war.

Practice A Routine

During this coronavirus, all schools, colleges, offices, and businesses are in a lockdown state. During this time, it is crucial to create a productive routine that will save you from frustration and will also ease your mental health during coronavirus outbreak.

You can create a routine to either work from home or can plan out a day at home with your family. As per mental specialists, follow the same routine as usual under these circumstances as well. This will not only provide you mental peace, but it will also keep you focused, ensuring that you are still in control of your life and actions.

Practice Meditation

During this time of isolation and self-quarantine, you have got an excellent opportunity to spend time with yourself. Use this time to meditate and relieve yourself of all the anxiety and stress of your everyday life.

Practice deep breathing as this will regulate your emotions and will also activate your parasympathetic nervous system. Practicing meditation will also balance your heart rate and will keep you calm. Meditating for 10 minutes daily will help you relax in no time.

Stay Busy

During this time of the pandemic, it is essential to keep yourself busy. Being busy will distract you from the ongoing situation and will prove to help maintain your mental peace.

You can binge on your favorite shows or listen to music or read or bake or do anything you love. Pick up a new hobby or dust the old one and use this time to do something you were not able to during your regular days. You can also go for online training and classes and enroll yourself in something you are passionate about.

Stress On Your Nutrition

The most important thing to fight this COVID-19 is to build your immunity. Taking unnecessary stress can give you cravings for saturated and sweet foods. Satisfying your cravings can, in turn, increase stress, anxiety, and irritability.

During this crisis, stay healthy and chose a meal that is going to benefit your body. Choose foods that are rich in potassium and protein. Studies show that these foods can calm your mood.

Practice Self-Care

In our day to day life, we are stressed enough about our work and household chores. We get so busy with our work life that we forget to take care of ourselves. During this coronavirus outbreak, we can invest time in ourselves and prioritize us over all the other things.

Try to prioritize your wishes and do something that makes you feel good. Get a right amount of sleep, which you miss out on your normal days and also eat healthily and on time.

Stay Positive

Negative beliefs and thoughts will only increase your fears and worries. Therefore, try to manage your emotions and reframe your thoughts in a better way. Try to stay positive amidst all of this and remind yourself that this is just a bad time, and it will pass. There is no need to dishearten and stress yourself more than you already are.

Explain To Your Kids About This Situation

Just like senior citizens, kids are also at higher risk during this outbreak. Thus, take care of your kids and explain to them what this is all about. Communicating with your kids will take care of their mental and emotional health. Give them space and time and also allow them to process their feelings. Be open to them and answer their questions honestly. Try to invest as much time as possible as they are new to all of this, and they might not understand the situation well, like adults.

Support Each Other

During this pandemic, try to be there for each other. Try to support each other and also contribute a little number of your finances to the nations that need it. Also, try to follow the rules and measures taken by your country to keep you safe. This will not only keep you safe bit will also keep the nation and the world safe.

Get Therapy Online

When everything else fails to balance your mental health, consider online therapy. The Internet is filled with new venues for online therapy sessions. The sessions can be productive and beneficial. An online therapy session is practically a good option during this outbreak. This will not only provide you information but will also give you access to e-therapy sessions as well. Since you are homebound now, and mobility is an issue, online therapy can be a great way to access mental health. Online therapy is an affordable and more accessible option.

The world is facing a tough situation right now. But this is just a phase, and it will pass. Staying aware and staying at home is the best possible thing you can do right now. These circumstances might be stressful; therefore, the steps we talked about above might be able to relieve your stress and retain your mental balance. However, if anxiety and stress persist, then you might as well visit a doctor.

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