Managing Your Mental Health During the Pandemic'

 

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2020 has been a difficult year for many of us. The coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has impacted many of us physically. It has impacted many of us financially, as government guidelines put in place to slow the spread of the virus have resulted in many companies collapsing, redundancies and lost work. But the most common way it has impacted the majority of the global population? Mentally. Not only have concerns for our health and severe insecurity in the vast majority of jobs weighing on our minds, but many of us have experienced great difficulty with social isolation, not being able to see the people we want to and not being able to do many of the things we want to do. If you feel that your mental health is suffering, you are far from alone. Here are a few pieces of information, however, that could help you along the way.

Reach Out for Professional Support

The first important point that we need to make is that if you feel that you are beginning to struggling with managing your mental health, or if at any point you feel you aren’t able to cope, you really do need to reach out for professional help. There are many sources of support out there, ranging from charities to support groups and helplines. But our main recommendation would be reaching out to a doctor. Your doctor is a professional who can officially diagnose any underlying conditions that you may be suffering from. If any conditions are found, your doctor can then set you on the right course to improving things. This could be through prescribing specific medication, referring you on to therapy, or offering a combination of the two approaches.

Maintain Contact With Others

Social isolation is a pretty major factor in many mental health struggles that people are facing right now. Whether you live alone or not, you may be struggling getting by alone or in a limited social circle. Luckily, nowadays, we are able to reach out to others virtually. Whether you give someone a call, keep in touch through social media, text, have video chats or any other means of simply being in contact with someone, it’s bound to help. So, make the effort!

Remember to Exercise

Many of us aren’t able to exercise in the same way that we usually would right now. It’s recommended that the average adult gets one hundred and fifty minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week, or seventy five minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise a week. This isn’t solely for your physical health. Exercise can help your mental health too. It helps to reduce the production of cortisol - a stress hormone - and increases the release of feel good hormones. So, even if the gyms are closed and you can’t attend sports clubs or classes, still make sure to get exercise in another way. This could be a socially distanced jog around the park, a regular cycle or some kind of home workout.

These suggestions aren’t always comprehensive solutions. But they really can help your mental health during these difficult times. So, give them a try!