As we surpass a year of experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s safe to say many of us are still feeling fatigued from missing our friends and family, normal routines, traveling and much more. It remains important that we continue to care for our mental health during this time. In order to help, we have identified a few favorite resources that outline helpful tips as a good starting point.
Resources for Mental Health Care
1. Self-Care
During times of uncertainty and disruption in routines, self-care becomes more important than ever. Self-care means we are intentionally taking ongoing action to nourish our own mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to accomplishing this. This may look different for different people, but it comes down to what individuals can do to promote their personal wellness.
Health Matters provides 15 simple ways to practice self-care from eating well to nourish your body to journaling your thoughts. Premier Health also lists great ideas for self-care while staying at home.
2. Maintaining Connections
An unfortunate side effect of physical distancing is having feelings of isolation and loneliness. However, it’s important that we continue to maintain relationships, even if we have to get creative to do so. Social connections are an important part of positive mental health and, as much as possible, shouldn’t be neglected. Especially when we experience times of stress or difficult emotions, it is natural to want to rely on those in our social circles.
Mayo Clinic outlines tips for maintaining internal and external human connection during a time of physical distancing. Also, Healthline offers great ideas for doing this that don’t contribute to Zoom fatigue.
3. Managing Anxiety and Stress
Even though we are no strangers to the pandemic at this point, it is absolutely normal to be feeling both new and increased sources of anxiety and stress. If you are feeling this way, make it a priority to find support immediately.
Mental Health First Aid presents four tips for managing COVID-19-related stress, and Nature has seven tips to manage your mental health and well-being. In addition, Vox shares how to find a therapist during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have any questions about the information presented in this blog post or would like additional resources, please contact Amira Abdulhafid at amira@guideinc.org.