Good Afternoon, Everyone!
This post is going to be a heavy one because it's all about mental health during this period where everything is actually falling apart. That's a lie: not everything is falling apart but it really feels that way. While the reminder that we are in a first-world country where we are in a far more privileged position than others is sobering, it doesn't negate the fact that a lot of us are probably struggling. Watching the news or speaking to people is just a constant reminder of what is happening in the world. Some of us have decided to panic and buy all the toilet paper and hand sanitiser. Yet again, we will not do well in a zombie apocalypse.
But we have to stop and take a step back before we fall back into old habits. These are hard times for all of us and we have got to recognise that. We cannot ignore the fact that there are people dying all the time and the numbers are only growing every day. However, we have to also realise that there is no use in us worrying. Provided you are following all the recommendations given by the government and your health care services, there is nothing else you can actually do. You cannot simply stick a bandaid across the world to fix this. We cannot fix this over a day because it takes time to reduce the effects of the virus and for the curve to flatten. That is the rational way of looking at things.
For someone with anxiety and depression, these times can be a cause of massive mental turmoil. Panicking is the least they would be doing. As someone who suffered from severe anxiety before, I can honestly tell you that I would worry about my parents and people's health far more than what would be considered normal. This period only amplifies those fears further. But I hope with this post I can help with reducing these heavy worries into things which you can actively do ease your mind. I am not a therapist by any means nor did I do psychology but this is what is helping me right now and I thought these words will be encouraging for you to hear.
Our thoughts and our inner mentality often work in a reactionary manner. It reflects what is happening externally. Our thoughts are linked to our feelings which are linked to our behaviours. Page three of this PDF talks about the link between these different aspects. Through therapy over the years, I became aware of what behaviour indicate that I am depressed or anxious. These behaviours can be sleeping too much or too little, not doing physical activity, eating way too much, not taking care of hygiene, not doing leisure activities that require active involvement (such as painting or writing) and not having enough patience for anything. These behaviours can be specific to who you are as a person so it can be the complete opposite of how I behave.
Once you realise that your routine of activities is not bringing you happiness or challenging you, you have to sit down for 20/30 minutes and reflect. I compartmentalize my reflection into different areas: relationships, career, hobbies and myself. This helps me understand what is happening in those areas of my life in a more organised manner. Once you get into this cycle of anxiety, your thoughts will all be jumbled together so it is important to separate them so that you can think about what is happening in that point in time and what you want for the future. This will suggest actions you could be taking to improve that area of life.
There is only so much you can control so control what you can. The activities you do will have a direct impact on your thoughts. This will impact your feelings which are both physical and mental. You can change the activities to change the feelings you have and the thoughts you have. For instances, if you are working and it's making you feel isolated and unhappy, step back from that and call or video call some friends or family. Spend some time with other people to help this feeling of loneliness. Are you sleeping way too much? Try using Alarmy or ask a friend who wakes up earlier to call you in the morning to make you wake up or ask a family member to wake you up. These are things you can do to help keep the negative feelings at bay.
Another way you can alter your thoughts is by journaling. Objectively take out your thoughts and write them down as statements then think about the evidence that supports the statements and evidence that doesn't. I usually do this with a friend or a family member as it helps me recognise realistic things that support and not support the thought. This can help you understand that those thoughts hold no value or truth.
Through therapy, I came to understand that negative self-talk doesn't go away but it can be silenced. Negative thoughts and negative self-talk are only as powerful and important as you make them be. Take your power back by looking at your thoughts objectively and ignoring those ones which are not helping you. Essentially you have to turn the volume down when your thoughts start to accuse you or make you feel shame or fear. This will help with having a clear mental state and make sure that you do not fall back into the cycle.
An observation I have made is how watching YouTube or scrolling through social media is not an act of entertainment nor is it a leisurely activity. These activities are just passive enough to allow you to have this inner monologue running in the background. These activities can be the perfect place for cultivating negative thoughts and guilt for the productive things you want to be doing instead. Instead of watching YouTube, try painting or creating a story or learning a language or speak to a friend or try making a TikTok. These activities are far more fun and they also help you actively moving or thinking. An idle mind is the devil's playground so even while you are taking a break: take that break doing something active rather than passive.
Meditation and self-care are so important right now. Just because we are at home doesn't mean you can skip on showers or exercising or being healthy. No matter how you are feeling, you have to discipline yourself into taking care of your physical health. Ignore the thoughts at 3 am that tell you you can watch another WatchMojo video and go to sleep. Be disciplined on these self habits and keep at least a loose routine to help you be happy. While your thoughts and everything else will tell you not to do something, do it anyways. Don't give those negative thoughts or feelings the power and just do it. You don't have to put all your effort into it but just do it. Just do it halfway if you have to. But just do it.
It's also perfectly okay to take a break. You don't have to be 100% productive during this time. You are allowed to spend the evening painting someone or speaking to your friends on discord. You are allowed to just sit in a bath with your thoughts or dressing up to watching something on Netflix in your living room. Do what feels right to you and what your body and mind wants. Don't resist your body's demands and take care of your self.
I am sending all of you virtual hugs, please keep yourself happy and safe. I will see you in my next post!
Sincerely Sinthu
This post is going to be a heavy one because it's all about mental health during this period where everything is actually falling apart. That's a lie: not everything is falling apart but it really feels that way. While the reminder that we are in a first-world country where we are in a far more privileged position than others is sobering, it doesn't negate the fact that a lot of us are probably struggling. Watching the news or speaking to people is just a constant reminder of what is happening in the world. Some of us have decided to panic and buy all the toilet paper and hand sanitiser. Yet again, we will not do well in a zombie apocalypse.
But we have to stop and take a step back before we fall back into old habits. These are hard times for all of us and we have got to recognise that. We cannot ignore the fact that there are people dying all the time and the numbers are only growing every day. However, we have to also realise that there is no use in us worrying. Provided you are following all the recommendations given by the government and your health care services, there is nothing else you can actually do. You cannot simply stick a bandaid across the world to fix this. We cannot fix this over a day because it takes time to reduce the effects of the virus and for the curve to flatten. That is the rational way of looking at things.
For someone with anxiety and depression, these times can be a cause of massive mental turmoil. Panicking is the least they would be doing. As someone who suffered from severe anxiety before, I can honestly tell you that I would worry about my parents and people's health far more than what would be considered normal. This period only amplifies those fears further. But I hope with this post I can help with reducing these heavy worries into things which you can actively do ease your mind. I am not a therapist by any means nor did I do psychology but this is what is helping me right now and I thought these words will be encouraging for you to hear.
Our thoughts and our inner mentality often work in a reactionary manner. It reflects what is happening externally. Our thoughts are linked to our feelings which are linked to our behaviours. Page three of this PDF talks about the link between these different aspects. Through therapy over the years, I became aware of what behaviour indicate that I am depressed or anxious. These behaviours can be sleeping too much or too little, not doing physical activity, eating way too much, not taking care of hygiene, not doing leisure activities that require active involvement (such as painting or writing) and not having enough patience for anything. These behaviours can be specific to who you are as a person so it can be the complete opposite of how I behave.
Once you realise that your routine of activities is not bringing you happiness or challenging you, you have to sit down for 20/30 minutes and reflect. I compartmentalize my reflection into different areas: relationships, career, hobbies and myself. This helps me understand what is happening in those areas of my life in a more organised manner. Once you get into this cycle of anxiety, your thoughts will all be jumbled together so it is important to separate them so that you can think about what is happening in that point in time and what you want for the future. This will suggest actions you could be taking to improve that area of life.
There is only so much you can control so control what you can. The activities you do will have a direct impact on your thoughts. This will impact your feelings which are both physical and mental. You can change the activities to change the feelings you have and the thoughts you have. For instances, if you are working and it's making you feel isolated and unhappy, step back from that and call or video call some friends or family. Spend some time with other people to help this feeling of loneliness. Are you sleeping way too much? Try using Alarmy or ask a friend who wakes up earlier to call you in the morning to make you wake up or ask a family member to wake you up. These are things you can do to help keep the negative feelings at bay.
Another way you can alter your thoughts is by journaling. Objectively take out your thoughts and write them down as statements then think about the evidence that supports the statements and evidence that doesn't. I usually do this with a friend or a family member as it helps me recognise realistic things that support and not support the thought. This can help you understand that those thoughts hold no value or truth.
Through therapy, I came to understand that negative self-talk doesn't go away but it can be silenced. Negative thoughts and negative self-talk are only as powerful and important as you make them be. Take your power back by looking at your thoughts objectively and ignoring those ones which are not helping you. Essentially you have to turn the volume down when your thoughts start to accuse you or make you feel shame or fear. This will help with having a clear mental state and make sure that you do not fall back into the cycle.
An observation I have made is how watching YouTube or scrolling through social media is not an act of entertainment nor is it a leisurely activity. These activities are just passive enough to allow you to have this inner monologue running in the background. These activities can be the perfect place for cultivating negative thoughts and guilt for the productive things you want to be doing instead. Instead of watching YouTube, try painting or creating a story or learning a language or speak to a friend or try making a TikTok. These activities are far more fun and they also help you actively moving or thinking. An idle mind is the devil's playground so even while you are taking a break: take that break doing something active rather than passive.
Meditation and self-care are so important right now. Just because we are at home doesn't mean you can skip on showers or exercising or being healthy. No matter how you are feeling, you have to discipline yourself into taking care of your physical health. Ignore the thoughts at 3 am that tell you you can watch another WatchMojo video and go to sleep. Be disciplined on these self habits and keep at least a loose routine to help you be happy. While your thoughts and everything else will tell you not to do something, do it anyways. Don't give those negative thoughts or feelings the power and just do it. You don't have to put all your effort into it but just do it. Just do it halfway if you have to. But just do it.
It's also perfectly okay to take a break. You don't have to be 100% productive during this time. You are allowed to spend the evening painting someone or speaking to your friends on discord. You are allowed to just sit in a bath with your thoughts or dressing up to watching something on Netflix in your living room. Do what feels right to you and what your body and mind wants. Don't resist your body's demands and take care of your self.
I am sending all of you virtual hugs, please keep yourself happy and safe. I will see you in my next post!
Sincerely Sinthu
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