How To Survive Lockdown And Protect Your Mental Health

As I write this, more and more places are going into lockdown around the world. Here in Italy, we have been in the thick of it for a couple of weeks and about five weeks total of travel restrictions and disruptions to everyday life and, to be honest, mentally and physically, I still feel good, calm, and positive. I’m feeling like somewhat of a veteran of it all, so get your quarantine uniform of sweatpants and a hoodie on, grab some snacks and let me share some tips on how to survive lockdown. I’m focusing on practical and empowering things you can do for your mental health and to protect your mental space.

How To Survive Lockdown And Protect Your Mental Health

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1. Don’t stress about things outside your control

This is the most important one for your mental health.

New rule. If it’s not in your control, don’t stress about it. Feel whatever you feel, then acknowledge you can’t do anything to fix it, and let it go.

This can be hard for codependent types since they are used to feeling the responsibility to fix everything and everyone, but it is important.

How can you be in a position to do any good for yourself or others if you are spending your time lost in a stress spiral?

I understand it’s sad that people are dying alone in hospitals. But can you fix that?

It’s horrible that people are losing their jobs. But can you fix that? You can empathize, but you cannot fix it.

Stressing about things you cannot do anything about helps no one.

Supporting local businesses has been a huge help in terms of how to survive lockdown and keep a positive mindset

2. Focus all your energy on what you can control

The follow-up point to the first one is to focus your energy on what you CAN control.

I feel for businesses in my area who have had to close down, and this is something I can help with so it gets my focus.

I’ve been channeling that stress into something productive to help them as much as I can.

Here’s what I’m doing:

• Ordering from businesses who are making deliveries
• Leaving tips
• Shopping at my local grocery store (I usually don’t shop there because it is more expensive than big chains)
• Sharing local businesses on social media
• Setting money aside to support businesses when they reopen (another idea if they are open is to buy a gift card now so they have some cash coming in then you can use it later)

Maybe there are different things within your control – there’s not one list for everyone.

Perhaps you can’t focus on your roommate’s annoying habits, but you can control how you react to them or communicate about them.

The main point is to let go of what you cannot control and focus your precious energy on what you can.

One of the delivery orders I made from a local cafe

3. Move everyday

It’s been proven that physical activity is positively linked with mental health, and it’s especially important in times like this when we are stuck at home.

You don’t have to McGyver gym equipment out of jugs and broomsticks or do anything over the top though.

Some of the things I’ve been doing are:

• Online Yin Yoga classes (low intensity and great for relaxation) I love Yoga with Kassandra for this
• Simple 20 minute home workouts something like 3-4 rounds of this (there are a lot online for ideas)
  • 50 Jumping Jacks
  • Squats
  • Glute Bridge
  • Push ups
  • Dips using a chair
  • Crunches
  • Reverse Crunches
• Sprints to the end of the street (we are allowed 200m from home so I have been using my street to run sprints with my dog)

Whether it’s any of these or other things like dancing or online workout classes, make time every day to get your body moving.

4. Stick to a sleep schedule

I don’t think you need to stress too much about how many hours of sleep you get or how early to wake up.

But I do think it’s important to keep your bedtime and wake up time to around the same time each day so that your body has consistency.

Our bodies like homeostasis and when things are out of balance, your body jumps into fight or flight.

I use a Polar H10 heart rate monitor and the Elite HRV app to check my HRV (Heart Rate Variability) each morning. This shows me how much stress my body is under and consequently how much I can handle each day in my training.

Obviously, I’m not going to the gym anymore because they are closed but it was interesting to see that once the gym closed and I had a sudden change in sleep schedule, my body went into a dramatic fight or flight state. Then after a few days of the new sleep schedule, it went back to normal.

I imagine that if your sleep schedule is inconsistent every day, your body would struggle to find balance.

5. Keep your brain active

The hustle porn influencers are going strong with their rise and grind message at the moment, and I want to say off the bat, I don’t think you need to spend this time off work, doing more work, writing a novel or anything like that.

Maybe it’s OK to take a break. Rest is not the enemy.

However, I think it’s really important for mental health to keep your brain active. Work that muscle each day to keep it strong.

If you just want to chill and watch Netflix for most of the day, do that. And allow 30 minutes for something that gets your neurons firing just so your brain doesn’t turn to mush.

Here are some ideas:

• Crossword puzzle/Sudoku
• Read a book
• Try a new recipe
• Watch a documentary
• Listen to an educational podcast
• Watch a YouTube tutorial on something you’re interested in
• Craft something

6. Give to others

Acts of service to others have a powerful effect on our psyches.

Even with the restrictions of lockdown, there are still ways you can help others.

I mentioned earlier about supporting local businesses, and here are some other ideas:

• Foster an animal from a local shelter
• Call a local retirement home to see if there’s anything you can do to help
• Check-in with your neighbors to see if there’s anything you can do to help – pick up groceries, make a meal, etc.
• Contact a local military base to see if there’s a way you can help people whose spouse is away
• Check if there is a way to support your local hospital – perhaps they are taking donations for food deliveries or something
• Share a skill you have on social media to teach others
• Make an online order to deliver helpful supplies to a local business (women’s shelter, foster home, animal shelter, etc) – It’s best to call first to see what they need though otherwise, it can be more hindrance than help

My neighbor handmade pasta and gave some to me – such a sweet gesture

7. Consider your social media use

In terms of mental health, this is a big one.

And people love to blame social media for everything, but at the end of the day, accountability falls on you to manage your consumption.

If you are compulsively scrolling and feeling more and more anxious while doing it, then it’s time to check yourself and replace that habit with something else.

I’m not saying it’s easy at all, but it is possible.

If you’re constantly sharing posts and articles that incite fear and anxiety, it’s time to check yourself. Are you doing that as a way to get a connection and attention in the comments that follow? Maybe you could get that same result by simply calling a friend for a chat.

Are your posts fueling anxiety and fear or strength and positivity?

Finally, you are responsible for what you see in your feed, so if what you see leaves you feeling anxious or negative, then it’s time to mute and/or unfollow and find accounts that make you feel good.

We are social animals so if you’re alone, remember to connect with someone every day. Focus on quality over quantity – have an actual conversation, not just passing comments on social media. If you’re not alone, remember to check in with people you know who are.

I don’t want to start conspiracies or anything but Coronavirus wasn’t a problem while Harry was in the royal family

— Katie McIntosh ✈️ (@katieshowblog) March 24, 2020

8. Find ways to have fun

You don’t get the choice to go into lockdown, but you do get the choice to either sit and complain or rise up and make the best of it.

I know you already have a lot on your plate with working from home and maybe teaching your kids too, but please remember to allow time each day to do something just for enjoyment.

Just for you.

Not to be good at it, not to be productive – just for fun. You cannot fill from an empty cup, and I think this is especially important now while our cups are emptying faster than usual.

There are a lot of posts and videos online to give you ideas, otherwise, get creative and use what you have around the house to have fun.

I think a great skill is to be able to have fun in any environment. Anyone can have a great time out at events or traveling, but what can you do without all the extras and distractions?

What do you enjoy doing? Is there something you’ve wanted to try that you haven’t had time for before?

I love to create and I’ve been enjoying making videos and watercolor paintings for fun. Aside from that, I enjoy watching comedies and playing with my dog for fun so those are still in the schedule too.

Whatever you prefer, make sure there is some time each day to do something just for fun.

9. Gratitude

At the end of the day, gratitude is powerful in terms of dealing with anxiety and creating a positive mental space.

We all feel stress and anxiety, but be mindful of how you feed it and what emotions you choose to encourage in your mental space.

I like to say ‘thank you, I’ll be ok’ if any anxious or fear-based thoughts start popping up, then let it go.

Even with the lockdown situation, there is always something to be grateful for. We can remember that we are fortunate to have a place to live, food to eat, health, and to be in a position to help others for example.

10. Communicate clearly and fairly

This is especially important if you are sharing a space with others while in lockdown.

If you’ve ever said ‘he/she should just know’, you’re wrong.

It is unfair to expect anyone to be able to read minds and if you are sharing a space during the lockdown, it’s an especially important time to communicate your needs clearly and calmly.

Being in lockdown with others will also require a lot of compromises, so work together as a team to find ways that everyone can be satisfied. It’s not going to be ideal, but as long as you are working with each other and not against each other, you can usually find a happy middle ground.

A lot of what I’ve mentioned basically centers around setting boundaries for ourselves and I think that’s really empowering and important for preserving our mental health. Hope this helps!

Other posts you might enjoy

• On The Importance Of Facing Challenges In This Comfortable World
• How To Get The Courage To Travel Alone When Everyone Says You’ll Die
• My Favorite Empowering Books That Will Make You Strong

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