With so much happening all at once currently- from a pandemic, to global protests, violence and more, it is easy to be caught up in the negativity that is occurring. It is important that we should not neglect our mental health.
University of the Sunshine Coast Associate Professor Helen Stallman, whose research is embedded in the development of interventions aimed to optimise health and wellbeing, said that “people who have mental illnesses will be particularly vulnerable during this period of time”, and that “people who are particularly prone to anxiety and find that difficult to manage in their day-to-day life will probably find this more distressing”
In this article, I will be exploring the steps you can follow to care for your mental health. The 5 steps include
- Mediation
- Take frequent breaks from social media
- Journaling
- Get some sun
- Cleaning
I personally find these steps very effective in managing my emotions in a world that is often chaotic.
1. Mediation
Mediation is an effective way of helping one to manage your emotions. Allow the mediation playlist to play in the background. Sound is recognized by many ancient cultures as a healing tool. Let all of your thoughts roam free, and release these emotions. Working on your root chakra helps with anxiety and fear. You could do it in the morning when you wake up and just before you go to bed. This way you can sleep calm and wake up less stressed and at ease.
You could also put some drops of Vetiver (essential oil) while mediating as it helps you to focus. Vetiver is very grounding, and particularly balancing when feeling spacey after long sessions in front of a screen.
2. Take frequent breaks from social media.
Getting off your phone for hours will help one to calm down and allow you to breathe. It is found that radiation and frequencies which are emitted from electrical gadgets can interfere with our bodies own natural rhythms, cycles and well-being. This is especially important if you are feeling bad about yourself. Before intaking more information, you should be calm. Try to avoid using your phone for the first few hours when you wake up, but just sit with yourself. Disconnect throughout the day and do things that you truly enjoy.
Make your bedroom a priority to be as electrical free as possible. Charge all your gadgets away from your bedroom or at the very least away from your head when sleeping.
3. Journaling
Journal how you feel at this time so you will not hold on to those feelings, especially when you have no one to talk to. Express your tiredness, your negative or positive emotions. It will really help you to clear your mind.
4. Get some sun
Lots of sunshine is known to feed and expand the aura. Spending time outside amongst nature is incredibly healthy for your body, mind and soul. Catching the vitamin D will allow you to fuel yourself with energy, optimism and at the same time nourish your senses and grounds you.
5. Cleaning
Cleaning your living space can help you find clarity. It can have a symbolic meaning of getting rid of one’s emotional weight. Cleaning is known to give one control over a situation. This helps to ease anxiety and calms your mind. When you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order as well. As a result, you can see what you need in life and what you don’t. In Marine Kondo’s book, she mentioned that from the moment you start tidying, you will be compelled to reset your life. As a result, your life will start to change. You will feel happy and content, have time to experience bliss in your quiet space, where even the air feels fresh and clean.
Here is a quote I read from Matt Haig’s book, notes from a nervous planet which really struck me
“We need to carve out a place in time for ourselves, whether it is via books or mediation or appreciating the view out of the window. A place where we are not craving, or yearning, or worrying, or worrying, or over-thinking. A place where we are set to neutral. Where we can just breathe, just be, just bathe in the simple animal contentment of being, and not crave anything except what we already have: life itself”.
Focus on things you can directly control and less on the things you can’t control. Exercise your mind, exercise your own physical health and try to be optimistic. Things will get better.
And with that, I hope you will take care of your mental health whilst all that is happening!
