How to take care of our mental health during quarantine?

Taming your gray matter in the midst of a pandemic.

COVID-19 has changed life as it was, and for us overseas it’s even more difficult as days go by.

Though Filipinos are known for being resilient, dealing with mental health issues still proves to be an enormous struggle for most, especially in these trying times. Personally I blame it on our “kaya mo yan” and “para yan lang” toxic culture which develops a callous taboo of acknowledging how we really feel.

This quarantine can exacerbate feelings of doubt, anxiety, feelings of isolation, and depression. It’s all rooted in the fear of the unknown. Waiting for it to end is an agonizing game we all struggle to play. It’s difficult, frustrating, and beyond our control.

What we are in control of, however, is coming up with strategies to cope during this pandemic. Here’s a list of what we can do to give our mental health a boost during the quarantine period.

1. Be mindful of your physical health

Get enough sleep and establish a good sleeping pattern.

It’s important that we establish a regular sleeping pattern. This sounds easy but don’t be fooled, our human instinct defaults to pleasure if time allows. So yes, you have to properly schedule your Netflix binge list. We need to consciously take control of our sleep routine. It’s non-negotiable.

Eat healthy and exercise regularly.

This is a no brainer. A 30-minute simple exercise daily can boost your energy in a day. Avoid consuming junk foods and sugary drinks. Again, nothing wrong with pleasure, it’s the over-indulgence that causes the problem – not a license to over-indulge.

2. Protect your mind by being aware of stress triggers

Control your media intake.

Remember that time you watched a Korean soap-opera about mistresses and 5 minutes later you were yelling at your son for forgetting to take out the trash? Or that news about how the number of positive cases spiked over the month that made you worry so much and caused you to be late for work the next day? You are working from home, yet you were still late because you didn’t sleep well. We can give so many examples here. The catch is, too much media exposure alters your mental state as well. So yeah, unless you’re a celebrity, a blogger, or a Youtuber who earns a living on these platforms, it’s not mandatory for you to be online 24/7.

Priorities. Priorities.

I remember a friend saying “If only I had enough time at home I would clean the house and master playing the guitar”. I checked on him recently and guess what, not having enough time was not the problem. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by making an extravagant life-changing list to achieve while we’re home but then again, every goal should be reasonable and must be taken one step at a time, daily.

Creating a list of life-changing goals or activities is great. It’s one way to get us motivated while we’re stuck at home. It is, however, just as important to make sure those goals are realistic. They must be reasonable and doable. Things that we can take one step at a time, daily. Whatever goals you set for yourself, it’s important to learn to celebrate small wins. You deserve that. Learn to accept that some days will be better than others.

Pray. Let go and let God.

You can never go wrong with prayer. If you acknowledge the fact that the cause of all this trouble came from the fear of the unknown, why not let the Omniscient Deity take the lead?

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

3. Connect – strengthen your support system

Don’t isolate.

Being quarantined and social distancing is totally different from social isolation. Don’t hesitate to make an effort to communicate and be virtually connected especially to your inner circles. Call, chat, send virtual hugs, etc. A simple “how’s your day?” goes a long way. There’s just so much we can do. Take advantage of today’s technology to strengthen your connections. Let it not be a tool of isolation.

4. Get help, it’s okay

One common mistake everyone holds on to is the belief that anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems will go away on their own. They won’t. Ignorance will just worsen the symptoms.

Acknowledging that you need help is the first and hardest step. Talking about how you really feel is quite difficult, not to mention the stigma that goes with it. But it is a MUST. Also, it’s equally important to be upfront about how you are actually doing. Allow yourself to be heard. Sometimes that’s all we all need.

Talk and ask for counseling from your spiritual leader in your faith community

For more serious symptoms, seek professional help. Mental health clinics here in UAE also offer online professional therapy. Yes, help can also be digital. We just need to do our part. Again, it’s okay to ask for help.

5. Make self-care a habit

Mental health is as important as physical and emotional health. Our strong worries can disappear after the pandemic is over but these mental health triggers won’t fade. It is a day to day battle. Continue to practice these habits and increase your ability to cope until it becomes your new norm. Remember these sufferings and struggles aren’t here to stay. This too shall pass.