It seems that even those who usually have the sunniest dispositions are being affected by these long periods of confinement. This makes those that are susceptible to mental health problems extremely vulnerable right now.
But why are we all struggling to stay positive?
There are alarming reports about the state of the country's mental health at the moment but the irony in all of this is that I am doing my best in years! This doesn't come as a surprise to me however, because I always do everything the wrong way around!
I have become habituated to "lockdown" because I have been in my own sort of "mental lockdown" with depression consuming me and making it impossible to leave my bedroom a lot of the time. I don't interpret my past in the same way that others do since it has been blighted with long spells of illness and everything is disjointed. The interludes of wellness have been so short that achieving anything has been impossible.
Now that I have been well for several months I have started to notice the return of passions from my past and it is so lovely to actually enjoy things again. So, this is the take-out point for others - indulge in your passions while we are in lockdown and don't try to be too perfect with the home schooling, house keeping, and other chores that are hard to motivate yourself towards doing.
I found a nice mental health site called Calm moment and have attached a link to self-care in Lockdown tips here.
I am indulging in writing, reading French stories, listening to French songs, walking up the hills nearby, catching up with friends on Facetime, and reading emails complimenting me on my blog! I am letting in this praise and allowing myself to feel good about it!
But what else can we do? I have been researching this over the last few days and the main thing I have taken away from it all is that we are not getting outside enough and getting enough light exposure. This is because the weather is horrible and we're not doing our usual walks to work, walks to shops, parks, and other outside recreational spaces and we're all stuck inside festering. Daylight is one of the fundamental essentials that humans need for the production of serotonin and melatonin in the brain for optimal function. I found a nice little clip which gives 12 tips for Lockdown and you can find it here.
(Don't try and contact them though as it is an American University!)
So, even when it's been terrible weather I am trudging out everyday for at least an hour, headphones in, French singer playing! I notice a huge difference once I've done it - the lingering headache disappears and I feel good for doing it.
What are you doing to help your mental health? What more can we do? I would love to hear from you and also hear any suggestions for things you think I should be writing about.
As usual please share with those you think would benefit. The Facebook Page now works so please click the FB icon at the top of the home page (persist in clicking on a mobile as it does work!) and click the three dots to share it!
I will be back on Monday as I need Sunday's off from writing about mental health for my own mental health!!
Speak to you soon,
Thanks for reading!
TR
www.dyingtostayalive.com
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