During this self-quarantine, take some positive steps towards your mental health and reset your mind for the better, using these tips!
1. Good Night!
An often overlooked aspect of a good and healthy living is adequate sleep. So make sure that at night, you put your phone aside two hours before dozing off, cover the room in darkness (for melatonin to be released), wear some comfy pyjamas and get a sleep of at least 6 to 8 hours!
2. Goal Setting
Before diving into the notifications from your phone, make sure you set some goals for the day. They could be to relax and skip work or do some yoga or take yourself out on a date. Whatever the goals, make sure they promote the betterment of your mental health.
3. Eat Breakfast
Coffee and doughnuts or just some milk and biscuits don’t count for a nutritional breakfast. This meal sets your mood and energy for the rest of the day. So make sure that you prepare yourself something that is healthy and fulfilling. Skipping breakfast altogether is not recommended. Those who regularly eat breakfast have been shown to have less depression, a lower stress response, and generally live healthier lives than those who don’t.
4. Exercise
A light workout such as stretching or yoga can help you loosen up! Exercise can also lower your heart rate and blood pressure as well as make you less susceptible to stress the remaining of the day has to offer. After you’re done, make sure to attend to your daily grooming, like showering and brushing your teeth to help you feel fresh and rejuvenated.
5. Emotional Homework
Today might be a good time to attend to the difficulties you’ve been facing emotionally. How can you better deal with mistakes at work? Can you spend more quality time with your family? What do you get your happiness and calm from? This is a good time to engage in problem solving or reframing some of your emotional concerns. It is better than preparing yourself once the storm hits.
6. Socialize
Pick one or two or more people you truly cherish and meet them for some evening tea. Make sure you truly enjoy and feel comforted in the company of these people. The company may not necessarily be only that of humans, have some pets over too!
7. Nap Time!
If you are like me then after a day of eating, exercising and socializing, you are likely to want to nap! Naps have been long proven to positively impact one’s mental performance. So make sure not to make your nap long, so that it does not disrupt your sleep for the night. It only takes about 20 minutes of napping to reap its benefits, so keep it brief!
8. Show Some Gratitude To Yourself
Make a list of all the things you are grateful for when it comes to yourself. Enough of thanking others, let’s thank ourselves for whatever little things we do in each moment. The credit to self has been long overdue!
