HOW TO STAY POSITIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC?
Research* shows that there is a direct connection between a positive mindset and people's strength in dealing with tough situations or anxious moments. People with optimistic expectations for the future might have better mental and physical health. In this article, I want to give you some suggestions as to what you can do to improve your overall mood and energy to cope with a stressful situation, not just for covid-19, but for all unforeseen events.
Here are some tips:
- Work on your time management skills. This is important and has to be dealt with before anything else. Now that most of us have to work from home, and some of us with kids at home, we have to plan our day efficiently. If you can, set a private workspace in your house. If you have a spare room, that is great. If you don't have it, create a space in your house that you will use only for work. Try to keep your personal space and workspace separate. That way, you will easily get into the work mindset in the morning and once you leave the work station, you can feel at home again. Plan your tomorrow from today. Pretend you are still in your office, take your lunch break, set aside time for two smaller breaks. Don't neglect your exercise routine. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day.
- Find an activity that will relax you. If you like the idea of meditating, try mindfulness meditation, or repeating mantras (check out the videos in our BEYOUMA box). Set aside a few minutes each day to meditate, or to perform any other relaxing activity. It could be yoga, tai-chi, listening to meditation music, or taking a warm bath/shower. Relax your muscles and experience the present. Stay in the moment and empty your mind from all negative thoughts for a while. Breathing exercises are a good way to regulate your heart rhythm, lower your anxiety, and help with panic attacks.
- Now that the idea of going to the gym is not appealing or even possible, figure out ways to exercise at home, or around your neighborhood. You can do jogging, go on a walk, or do cardio exercises at home. Maybe you have some dumbells for lifting weights, jump rope, pilates ball at home. It is important to keep your body active as much as you can. When we are forced to stay indoors, we eat more due to stress and anxiety, also because of boredom. Before you know, the jeans and shirts will start to become tighter and tighter on you. To avoid gaining weight, keep your body working.
- Try not to get too consumed with the news. Don't read or watch the news constantly. The negativity will potentially affect your motivation, which in turn, will affect your overall mood throughout the day. Yes, it is not easy to not follow every single developing story. You need to make an extra effort to keep your news consumption at a minimum. Dedicate a specific time to get the updates, and just learn to let go of your smartphone, ignore the notifications, turn the TV and radio off.
- Try to buy local. The fact is, big corporations are making a fortune from online shoppers and small businesses are facing bankruptcy. Many of them will never reopen due to economic hardship, and also simply because they can't compete with the big guys. Supporting a local mom and pop shop, a small business will not only be an act of kindness and appreciation, but you will help someone stay afloat. Helping others makes us happy.
- Ask old neighbors or neighbors who have health problems if they need anything. A simple text message or phone call, a knock on the door, an offer to drive to the supermarket or pharmacy will help someone whose health is compromised.
- Keep in touch with your family and friends. Some so many people live far from their loved ones. Thankfully, in today's technology, we have so many apps that help us stay connected at no extra cost. Schedule video calls with family and friends. Don't wait for them to call you. Life happens. some people get carried away and can't remember to call you, don't take it personally. Even if they forget, take the first step. They will appreciate it. Get in touch with as many friends as you can. You can do group chats and make it a fun night together. You can share a drink online, share recipes or funny stories, jokes.
*https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005796715300814