The global coronavirus pandemic is in its full effect. Risk of catching the flu is on the rise more than ever, stock markets are at an all-time low, a global recession is knocking on the doors of the world economy and individuals are now confined to their homes. The lockdown imposed by governments around the world has got everyone feeling stressed, anxious and afraid.
The pandemic has led to the world’s largest work-from-home experiment. This has reduced the gap between work and home life. The saying that “one should keep personal and professional lives separate,” no longer can be held true. Earlier you had the option of keeping your home-life stress at home and focus more on work, and leave your official pressure at the office door while leaving for home. But now, with everything intermixed, it is very normal for one to be frustrated, angry, stressed and cranky all the time.
But all these feelings can lead to a loss of productivity and in the worst-case scenario, a mental breakdown. Keeping your mental health in check becomes important now more than ever. We need the full capacity of our brain to weigh the best possible options, question our assumptions, come up with new and creative ways of doing things, and remain calm.
Here are a few ways in which you can keep your mental balance and come out of the quarantine better than ever:
1.) Meditation
In such a time of crisis, meditation can be of tremendous benefit. Practicing meditation can reduce stress, anxiety, increase your ability to focus and remain calm when a problem arises. As Steve Jobs used to say, “With meditation, you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see a tremendous expanse at the moment. You see so much more than you could see before.”
Start your day with meditation. With all the tension on your head and workload, it is very common for one to look at emails and news after waking up. But this puts you into a reactive mode and triggers your emotions. On the contrary, starting the day with a few minutes of meditation can help you center and calm fear-based thoughts.
2.) Limit the news and be careful of what you consume
It has been observed in many cases recently that reading too much news during the time of crisis and constantly checking information surrounding the pandemic can lead to panic attacks. When people start feeling anxious, their thoughts can spiral out of control leading them to think of catastrophic outcomes.
To keep your anxiety and stress in check, limit the amount of time you spend on reading and watching things that don’t comfort your brain or make you uncomfortable. Also, there is a lot of information going rounds on the internet, it is always advised that you stick to the sources which can be trusted and verified. Fake news can do more damage to you than bad news.
Stay connected with people
With social distancing and self-isolation, it’s very easy to lose touch with people. One starts feeling lonely when there is nobody to talk to or when nobody is there to listen to you. Talking to yourself and letting your thoughts take their course without discussing them with anybody leads to overthinking, which can lead to depression.
If you’re feeling that you are not able to control your thoughts or you feel the desire to express yourself, feel free to call up people who are ready to hear you. Even governments around the world have understood this and have set up helpline numbers where one can call and express themselves while being anonymous. Remember, it is very important to talk.
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