December 27, 2020
Connections – connect with people you know, maybe they need contact more than you, even a five-minute chat may help you more than you think and you are likely to be helping someone else at the same time.
Contribute – find ways where you can contribute positively, search for online with @ecosia for programmes and if your restrictions allow you to, maybe volunteer at a food bank.
Go easy – it is okay to worry, it is a form of self-preservation but to worry excessively leads to unnecessary stress and anxiety. Write lists of the worries while you journal and divide them into things that you can control and things that you might be magnifying. If you feel any of them are overwhelming, speak to a friend or family member or reach out to an organisation who can help.
Journaling – write your thoughts and feelings down, this can help to put them into perspective and help you find solutions – also for self-reflection when you read them back one week, month or year later to see how much has changed or stayed the same.
Mindfulness – take time to count your breaths, anywhere anytime, just one minute of deep breathing can change the flow of the day. Count to ten breathing in and ten again breathing out. It takes some concentration to do this even for a minute. Then try two minutes….
Movement – find ways of exercising at home or in the open air, simple pushups and planks can encourage blood flow all around your body which will help you feel well. You can practice your mindfulness breathing at the same time. Even walking outside in the park or a tree lined street will bring you in touch with some nature. This is possible, safely, during this time and beneficial to your mental and physical health.
Visualise – we can be very good at visualising worst case scenarios however often we do not use the same energy and skill in visualising best-case scenarios, try to flip the worst-case scenario and build a new thought process about what it would be like if everything you worry about was solved and things were working out in the best possible way for you.
Use a search engine like @ecosia to find mental health support groups in your country and in your local area
Contact people who can help you such as
Mental Health Mates
Young Minds UK
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