Mental health has always remained a serious problem in the United States, even before the pandemic. A survey shows that every fourth person suffers from mental health issues. Even though one-fifth of adults in the country experience emotional troubles annually, many don’t pursue therapy/counseling to treat these problems. The coronavirus pandemic contributed to the decline in mental health in the United States. COVID-19 prompted 1 in 6 Americans to seek treatment for the first time, according to experts. So, you have to manage your mental health during an ongoing pandemic since it may drastically affect your overall well-being. Now, what are some strategies for regulating your mental health in 2021?
Mental health management made easy
If you’re feeling stressed or depressed during an ongoing pandemic, you’re not alone! Experts believe that coronavirus can easily cause neurological complications among patients. If you haven’t contracted SARS-CoV-2, even then, it’s essential to improve your mental health. Because people with poor mental health are more vulnerable to this disease, mental health issues may manifest physically, prompting doctors to prescribe specific therapies. Implementing effective strategies can help you regulate your emotions and manage your mental health. So, here’s what you need to do to keep your mind calm and your thoughts healthy. These tips and tools are helpful for people with a mental health condition:
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Seek help:
Our principal suggestion involves pursuing therapy/counseling when you’re feeling overwhelmed by your negative emotions. So, who should you consider as your therapist? We suggest you contact an expert who attained masters of arts in counseling online or a campus-based degree from reputable institutions. Today, digital education has made it easier for experts to help improve society’s mental health. These counselors encounter people suffering from stress/anxiety to prepare them for a successful lifestyle ahead. So, if controlling your mental health appears unattainable to you, you should seek expert help. Thus, a counselor can create a treatment strategy catered to your needs for a rapid recovery.
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Spend time outdoors:
Reconnecting with nature helps people rediscover their long-lost mental peace. We suggest people spend more outdoors to reduce their stress/anxiety. It’s also beneficial to adopt hobbies that make you “get out” more often, e.g., walking/running, jogging, and similar pastimes. Another method deals with bringing some nature inside in the form of potted plants. Mingling with people can enable you to overcome your feeling of loneliness. So, surround yourself with positive influences and friends.
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Practice self-care:
Research suggests that adults need to rest for 7-9 hours every night. However, women tend to sleep more. They’re 40% more likely to have insomnia while twice as likely to experience stress/anxiety. So, we suggest adults practice self-care to improve themselves – both mentally and physically. Don’t overwork yourself to avoid burnout, as many workers have suffered from stress after working extra hours during this pandemic. Here are some more self-care-related pro-tips to manage one’s health:
- Sleep regularly
- Exercise more often
- Adopt hobbies/pastimes
- Stay away from smoking and drinking
- Eat healthy snacks and drink more water
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Get some peace:
You can relax by practicing some stress-reducing techniques suggested by experts. There’s one sort of meditation called mindfulness in which you’re entirely aware of your surroundings. When you maintain a moment-by-moment knowledge of your thoughts and sensations, it helps you lessen your stress. We also recommend you engage in other types of meditation, practice yoga, or perform religious prayers to quiet your mind. Meditation enhances the effects of therapy on people as well.
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Use audio guides:
Experts have also prepared some audio guides for people who have trouble relaxing. You can boost your mental well-being by listening to them privately whenever you feel overwhelmed by your emotions. Here, we shall give you references to two tools prepared by some renowned platforms:
- BBC has compiled a mental health toolkit that contains stuff to motivate you and calm down troubled people. There are sounds for relaxing and parenting strategies for annoyed dads & mums. This content enables you to calm yourself down effortlessly.
- The NHS also has mental health audio guides for anxiety control training.
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Detox from digital:
An average person spends 2 hours and 25 minutes online each day while people were online for just 1 hour in 2012. This excessive internet consumption may cause mental stress to people because of all the fake news revolving around social media. So, we suggest forgoing these digital devices to live offline temporarily. Make sure that you’re balancing your online/offline lifestyle to maintain mental health. Sometimes, constant connectivity isn’t healthy – especially for folks with a vulnerable mind.
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Keep a diary:
There are several benefits of picking up journaling as a pastime. It strengthens your memory as you track your progress in a written format. Moreover, you become self-confident and turn into a better communicator. But – most importantly – journaling reduces your stress/anxiety. It allows your inner feelings to escape healthily, thereby making you feel relaxed. Your diary serves as an outlet for your emotions, so you don’t feel bottled up with negative thoughts. So, write more often about yourself.
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Talk to yourself:
We also suggest developing positive self-talk in which you motivate yourself to stay calm and control your emotions. Surround yourself with positive energy and beat stress. The self-healing process is beneficial for people who are fearful about losing their mental health during this pandemic. Experts have suggested several self-healing practices. They include breathing, meditation, qigong, and t’ai chi, among many methods. So, heal yourself to boost your self-esteem and self-confidence.
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Try online quizzes:
How anxious are you? There are online quizzes prepared by medical experts that can help you measure your stress/anxiety levels. For instance, we have the Goldberg Anxiety Scale along with the Goldberg Depression Questionnaire. These tools help people compare their anxiety levels with other people. This quiz also predicts if a state of anxiety shall occur in the future, so you may start boosting your mental health. So, what kind of questions can these surveys ask? Here are some examples:
- Do you worry a lot?
- Do you feel insomniac?
- Do you find it difficult to relax?
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Communicate properly:
Ineffective communication (with even your friends/family) may cause stress/anxiety in a person. So, you must learn how to resolve conflicts and discuss sensitive matters with people properly. When you feel like something’s bothering you, communicate your concerns effectively. Some tips include:
- Stick to the facts when you communicate
- Choose the right time to discuss these problems
- Don’t have a difficult conversation when that person’s distracted
- Start the conversation with “I” and not “You” to focus on how you’re feeling
- Don’t forget that an effective dialogue constitutes a two-way street, so repeat their points to make sure you’ve understood their perspective.
Conclusion
A survey shows that the uncertainty related to the pandemic has caused over two-thirds of Americans to feel stressed. Unfortunately, women are more vulnerable to stress/anxiety than men. It’s estimated that 49% of women believe their stress has increased over the last five years, while less than 40% of men said the same. So, how can someone manage their emotions and regain their mental health? We suggest you practice meditation, exercise regularly, and engage in mindfulness. Also, adopt some healthy hobbies to keep your mind distracted from all this uncertainty about the future. Attain work-life balance to ensure you remain healthy – both mentally and physically. So, these tips help people manage their well-being.
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