Mental Health — The world needs help.
👋🏻 Hello Guys, Talk to me about it.
The quarantine is now a way of life. It’s a nasty way to live; we can agree on that, but there is no alternative. As we sit and wonder about the pandemic, our minds wander off to the future, which seems highly unpredictable at this point. We all know that this virus is a big unfamiliarity, and that’s what makes it so destructive. How do we cope with not knowing what the future may hold?
I once heard someone say that this generation is the loneliest generation ever. In this quiet, that notion becomes clear we are slowly becoming friends with grief, loneliness, overthinking & obviously wondering when will this end. All of this affects our mental health by means of panic attacks, anxiety, sleep disorders & fear of failure Instead of wondering ask yourself “what can I do that will make this day easier for me?
Some I know are stuck at home alone, enveloped in solitude. This distance from people makes them spiral down into a dark pool that I can’t fully comprehend but only know as a word: loneliness. Social distancing is taking a major toll on those with mentally not stable.
You might not be able to change the physical world around you, but there are things you can do to shift your mindset to a more optimistic one, even when all hope seems lost.
Few things to remember that can effectively help us take care of our mental health.
- Anxiety & Nervousness
According to Google Trends, the number of searches for “panic attack symptoms” & mental illness at the start of 2020 rose by 100% compared to the any other year.
I waited too long to take proper action against my anxiety attacks. What once were haphazard hyperventilation attacks turned into panic attacks as stress increased. Definitely not fun. I found my solution When I believed my thoughts, I suffered, and when I didn’t, I was happy.
Negative self talks
We talk to ourselves all the time. In fact, everybody does. But when anxiety interferes, this self talk can easily turn negative. Whether it’s self-doubt or relentless self-criticism, anxiety can turn almost any situation into something bad.
This self-talk is often so habitual and salient that we don’t even notice it. It’s as normal to us as water is to a fish. We are surrounded by it. And even though it’s irrational it always sounds like the truth. Negative self-talk typically comes from outside influences you’ve internalised, so to separate it from your authentic self, you can give it a name something silly like Bitch, inner asshole. 😜
Reframing your inner thoughts is one solution that worked for me like crazy
Let’s say your boss sends you an email stating he needs to talk to you, says and your first thought is you’re going to get fired (something I have personally experienced). Try to reframe that negative thought with fact-based statements on why your boss might want to talk to you.
2. Fear of Criticism
Decide who gets to criticize you. Not all criticizers are created equal, and some shouldn’t even have a seat at the table. Set criteria for those who make the cut, and mentally dismiss the rest.
few points to remember.
A. Seek improvement, not approval
B. Consider the intent of the criticism.
C. If you can’t control the sting, keep it from swelling.
D. Be visionary about avoidance.
3. Fear of Failure
Are you feeling anxious, angry, or just plain overwhelmed at work? Negative emotions exist. Pushing them away or ignoring them does more harm than good, even if we might be tempted to do so. Mindful acceptance let be the things you cannot change, I have often seen people mistreating themselves when they fail at work, instead start to acknowledge your failures. It is very important to see your failures as a challenge. If you think of stress as a threat and notice you’re in a battle, It’s time to choose your own battles.
And, as I write this, I’m beginning to see more clearly that even I am not just staying at home, fulfilling my creative indulgences and learning how to make the best banoffee pie, but also suffering from a similar kind of loneliness. I look out and only see my shadow. But I am also staying at home in order to help save lives, to protect people I don’t even know. It’s easy to forget that we are not just protecting ourselves in this, but also protecting countless. That is why we’re alone, because we want to be there for each other, for that we need to be mentally strong.
Yes, nothing is same as it was. But we’re doing this, watching our shadows pass in spring, so we can come out of this someday in the coming months with solidarity, knowing at the very least that we did stay home, we did help in all the small ways we could.
Remember — we are in this together. No matter how lonely and isolated you feel, there is a neighbor, a friend, a colleague, or someone you have never met, who feels the same way. We are all united by the same goal — to bring the pandemic to a halt so that we can start rebuilding our lives & our minds.
Unclench your fists. Shake out your wrists. Relax your shoulders & Breathe ✨ ❤️ ✨
