Blog Post 3: News Review
Psychological and Emotional Well-Being:
5 Mental Health Tips During Lockdown
Being stuck inside during this pandemic can feel overwhelming even though we are in the comfort of our own home. Being unable to go outside freely makes the majority of us feel imprisoned and this can have a negative effect on our psychological and emotional health.
BBC News shares a video with the world with direct instructions given by Dr. Radha Modgil on how to deal with mental health during this lockdown.
Her first tip is being in CONTROL. She suggests to reflect upon and be aware of what we are in control of and what we are not. We can definitely be in control of the following which is crucial in the present situations: washing our hands, social distancing, and self-isolation. On the other hand, she suggests writing a list of things we are not in control of. This way we can visualise our thoughts on paper, reflect on uncontrollable situations, and learn how to let go of them. This way, we learn how to maintain an emotional and psychological balance with our inner selves and removes unnecessary stress that we do not need whereas, in reality, the majority of us keep on accumulating until we feel like a timebomb ready to explode. I'm sure many of you can relate to!
Her second tip is CARE. This tip revolves around self-care and routine. By taking care of our outer selves and maintaining a routine, we are giving ourselves the love that it deserves from the outside and also from the inside. This tip is vital because unless we take care of our health and try to keep a balance between ourselves and our lives, everything else we do will seem useless because we will be trapped in a circular motion of doing the same thing over and over again like machines instead of living the moment, whatever we may be doing. The first tip is simple - making sure to wake up at the same time every day, but in reality, how many of us wake up at different schedules day after day which ends up affecting our circadian rhythm. Maintaining good hygiene, having a good sleep, and doing some sort of exercise all are important tips that Dr. Modgil shares with us in order to take care of our outer and inner selves.
CONTINUITY is her third tip. We live such a chaotic and stressful life that balance is something the majority of us struggle with, therefore it vital for us to try and find some time each day to ourselves in order to find our grounding, our normality. It differs from person to person but makes sure you are doing something that lets you unwind and makes you feel happy. Due to the current situation try to find your happy place by doing something you love inside or try to learn something new. Some simple things you can do are watching your favourite TV programme or listening to your favourite radio station, reading books, drawing, playing an instrument, watching an instrument, learning a new skill whatever it may be like for example learning a new language. Internet is your best friend. Learn to use it to your advantage and instead of spending hours on social media, try to use the internet to acquire something for yourself that you can use in your free time or on a day to day basis.
CREATIVITY is her fourth tip. This tip is crucial especially during this time period because we need hobbies to keep us engaged, sane and give us a sense of normalcy. There are many different hobbies that we can learn or that we already have but could not find time to do them before. Now is the perfect time to start. Painting, crafting, singing, dancing, reading, journaling, cooking, gardening, writing poetry or lyrics, etc. Whatever it is and what makes you feel happy just do it because it will help your mind. It will help you!
Last but not least is COMPASSION. By compassion, Dr Modgil is referring to kindness. We need to be kind to ourselves and seek help if we need to especially during these difficult times but we also need to be kind to others. Help you, siblings, with homework, you mother by cooking and cleaning, you father with gardening or washing the car, contact a friend via mobile or social media and listen to them if they need someone to talk to. Try to give them your advice if it helps. Do something for you but also do something for others.
Last but not least take care and stay safe.
The tips mentioned above are suggested by Dr Modgil but I added to them by giving my own personal opinion. If you would like to watch the short video on her tips, please find the link below:
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