Staying Healthy during a crisis

How to stay mentally healthy during a crisis

Pandemic got you down? 

Stress, anxiety and fear are common responses to a crisis. When a crisis hits, we can be left feeling confused and disconnected. It can be important for us to make improvements towards our mindset in order to effectively respond to a crisis. Here are some ways to stay mentally healthy during a crisis. 

Acknowledge the feeling

Emotions are certain to run high during a crisis. In a busy world, it can be easy to distract ourselves in people, places and things. However, while on lockdown, all that attention outwards tends to redirect inward. It is important to note that acknowledging our feelings does not mean we must agree with them. Instead, acknowledging emotions allows us to accept what is and better prepare for what is.

Instead of reacting out of emotion, we begin moving towards responding from wisdom. Learning to acknowledge your feelings may take time. It requires us to sit with an emotions and investigate. Get curious about what it is presenting and become familiar with it.

This practice and curiosity allows you to create more space in between the experience and your action (or reaction). Remaining curious with it takes out the judgement attached to these emotions being present. This allows you to build a greater foundation within yourself to choose wisely how you respond to the outside.

For more information on emotional acceptance, check out this article posted in Psychology Today – Emotional Acceptance: Why Feeling Bad is Good

Physical Health

This one might come as a no brainer but it is worth considering. Have you ever snapped at a loved one only to realize later you were just hangry? How about misinterpreting a text because your sleep schedule was off and you felt extra tired that day? We have all been there (and will be there again). 

To help, visualize your mind and body as an intricate and incredibly intelligent machine. Any machine needs a power source, some tune ups and oil here and there. Well, our body and our mind serve as power sources for each other. It is just as important to spend time attending to the physical body as it is to the mental mind. 

Avoid Burnout

Yes, it is possible to stay too busy during quarantine! That same busy mental mind that we kept running while out and about is the same one we can experience when in a crisis. Staying busy can create a chronic stress response.

Do not overwhelm your mind (and calendar) with tasks to the point that they are keeping you from finding time to unwind. Set limitations to your schedule – be available at certain times of each day and pencil in some “Me Time” as well.

Stay present within yourself, your thoughts and emotional responses. Recognize when you are feeling a bit out of bounds from calmness and tranquility. Notice what signals you experience from both your mind and body and take a time out! 

Help Others 

There is power in serving others. During such a crisis, many are faced with crippling issues such as illness, homelessness, and scarcity of food. Conduct a quick search within your community for local volunteer needs. From food banks to donating blood, there are plenty of options available for you to choose from.

Volunteering not a viable option? No worry! Helping others includes your loved ones and close friends. Check in with them and create a loving space for them to feel comfortable sharing what their needs might be too. You never know how much a kind check in might mean to them. 

Another great way to help others is by helping yourself. Before we can take on the needs of others, we must attend to the needs of our own. If you are finding that you could use some guidance on how to create a better environment for yourself both mentally and physically, consider reaching out to us here at Centered Recovery.

We believe that deep recovery starts from within. To understand ourselves is to recover ourselves. Our team is committed to helping you realign yourself to innate health and well being. 

For more information, you can reach us directly at (800) 556 – 2966.