Life in lockdown – it’s a strange, mysterious and unsettling place to be. Chances are your feelings are taking you on a wild rollercoaster ride right now, calling at stations named anxious, bored, frightened, sad, and bloody angry along the way. Yet despite this unpredictable ride – destination as yet uncertain – there are things we can do to help keep ourselves feeling sane.
A lot of great articles have already been written during the current COVID-19 pandemic suggesting ways we can all take better care of our mental health during the crisis. Obviously, it makes sense for us to try to exercise regularly, eat healthily and sleep well where we can, but when times are tough, I know these things may feel a little easier said than done.
So I want to share just three tips for practicing self-care during this, let’s face it, pretty crappy time:
Tip 1 – Be kind to yourself
If I could share just one tip for looking after our mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be this one. Us humans don’t tend to be very good at being kind to ourselves. In fact, we often give ourselves a monumentally hard time. Negative self-image and subsequent negative self-talk is usually rooted deep in childhood, and as such I know how difficult changing ingrained thought processes may be. This is where counselling can be so helpful.
However, whether we are in therapy or not, we can perhaps try to use this lockdown as a chance to give ourselves permission – even fleetingly – to show ourselves the compassion and care we so often show others. If you are feeling unmotivated, sad, anxious, or angry, know that you are not alone. That these feelings are understandable, normal, and as such – that it’s OK not to be OK. In fact, not feeling OK right now makes perfect sense. Our worlds have been turned upside down, and none of us know what is coming next. Who wouldn’t be freaked out by that? Don’t feel you have to force yourself to be ‘positive’. Accept that you are handling this as best as you are able at this time.
“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.”
John Allen Paulos mathematician
Tip 2 – Remember life is always uncertain
The human brain is wired to crave certainty. Why? Quite simply – because it makes us feel safe. With certainty, we not only know where we are, but where we are going to be. Even if that place is – pardon my French – in the sh*t, our brains often prefer the certainty of staying stuck in that difficult place, to the uncertainty of pastures new. Better the devil you know anyone?
Conversely, our brain hates uncertainty. When faced with something totally unpredictable like the Coronavirus pandemic, the human brain recognises there is a threat, and instantly goes into alert mode. Which is a little tricky when you consider the very nature of life itself is constantly changing and uncertain. The brutal fact is in life, there is only one certainty – that one day we will all die. So, as mathematician and public speaker John Allen Paulos very wisely said – ‘Uncertainty is the only certainty there is and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.’
Which means, accept that it is normal to crave certainty – it’s what our brain is wired for, but also accept that uncertainty and change are simply part of being alive. You may also wish to read something called the ‘Good luck or bad luck?’ story, which beautifully illustrates how we never know what life may hold for us.
Tip 3 – Get outside once a day
No matter how busy you are, or how grotty the weather, try to get outside if you can – even if it’s just for a 10 minute walk around the block (while observing social distancing rules of course). Not only do we need vitamin D for strong bones and muscles, it also helps ward off fatigue and depression. Sunshine and proximity to nature is also known to boost serotonin – a chemical in our body that naturally lowers anxiety. Bonus tip: To bring a little more of the outside into your home, why not consider listening to recordings of birdsong, which has been proven to boost mental wellbeing. There are plenty to choose from on platforms such as Spotify and YouTube such as this.
Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash