How to Cope with Our Mental Wellbeing During the Pandemic

2020, Gosh! What a year, September here we are, just 3 months left till we bid it farewell and welcome 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on us, individually and as a community. Not to mention, the economy is facing a recession as well. According to Wikipedia, the virus, SARS-CoV-2 was speculated to be circulating in Brazil since late November 2019. Months later, the pandemic continues on, without a proper vaccine being issued to the public, social distancing practices will probably last longer than we imagine. As the pandemic continues to be part of our lives, there are more and more people experiencing negative impacts on their mental health and wellbeing. The days we have now aren’t the same as the days we had before.

Having the feeling of a sense of failure is common facing a crisis like this one. Your productivity gradually declines as you started to feel a lack of energy to go about with your tasks. One task after another, you find yourself behind schedule. Everything seems to be slower than anticipated but time, on the other hand, went on like the speed of light. One day after another, weeks turn into months, you feel very much defeated after battling against your own will. There go your confidence and self-esteem. Everything just fell flat. There is too much negativity in your mind right now, you feel so suffocated, any more you feel like you aren’t able to breathe.

You are not alone in this.

The fear you have now, the stress, the anxiety, they are emerging due to the loss of purpose and the change in our daily routines. It’s a natural response facing uncertainty. It’s completely normal for us to feel this way. Though, letting them be there as they are, they can affect our immune systems, leading to headaches and bad digestions (just to name a few). There are ways for you to release your mind from all of these negativities, slowly, but not completely as these things take time.

Remind Yourself of What Went Well

Instead of focusing on what went wrong, why don’t you have it a go in reminding yourself what went well? It doesn’t matter how minuscule the act is, there has to be something that went well. Light exists in the darkness. It could be, “I managed to pay for gas at the petrol station today or Oh look, it is sunny today or Well, would you look at that, my first attempt in baking cookies is successful!”. Be grateful for the little things. Remind yourself of the good, and always remember that there will be bad days and good comes along with it. You are standing here today, still breathing and alive. Being alive, to see another day. The power to make that more meaningful than it is, is to be content with what you have because we wouldn’t know if there is a day in the future where they are lost to us. By allowing yourself to the idea of certainty while facing uncertainty, you start to be mindful and be with the moment. That is what we called grounding. Rather than overwhelm in worries that nothing good will happen to you, try to focus on the things you are grateful for. If you have problems reminding yourself of what you value, you can try starting a gratitude journal or create a gratitude list. It sets as a reminder for you in the present and in the future. There are many templates you can find online to help you out if you don’t know how to start one.

For example, it can starts out like:

Morning Gratitude

(before you begin the day, list 5 things you are grateful for)

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What I’m Learning from My Challenges

(list three obstacles and what you are learning from them)

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People I’m Grateful for

(list 5 people who made your life or day a little happier today)

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The Best Part of My Day

(choose one moment of your day that made you happy and focus on that for 5 minutes before bed)

Doing this activity is a self-healing process. Everyone has their own ways and different techniques in creating their version. Nevertheless, you are still going to change your life, boosting your confidence, and naturally, you will become more positive. Start slow, go for depth instead of breadth. It is alright if you are behind your schedule. Take your time, relax, then you can come back anew. Give yourself a pat on the back! You got this!