Keeping calm with the Coronavirus

Tips to help your mental health

anxiety Coronavirus covid-19 mental health selfcare wellbeing

We’re being bombarded throughout the day with the C-word: Coronavirus. The hundreds of scary headlines are instilling fear into many of us, but they almost feel unavoidable and inescapable. Whether you’re personally worried or you know of those that are, we’re all in this together.

Make sure you’re taking care of yourself… and I don’t mean just by washing your hands every second of the day. Right now, and always, mental health is important. Unsurprisingly, anxiety is on the rise due to the coronavirus outbreak. Here’s how we can look after our wellbeing whilst navigating through this difficult time:

Avoiding the news

It’s not easy to find the right balance to be able to stay informed without becoming wrapped up in the chaos. Remember to take a step back if you need to. Turn off your news notifications from time to time or ditch it completely and use the World Health Organization to stay informed. If you’re feeling stressed, this will help you to have more control over how often and when you’re consuming this information.

Be careful what you share

Don’t forget that others may also be trying to do this, so help them out by avoiding sharing information that may lead to panic. Let others find out this information on their own, if, when and from the sources they choose. Instead, spread the word and importance of how they can take care of their mental health during this time. Be supportive.

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Stay connected

Don’t forget to check in with each other and stay connected. We are experiencing this together, as a family, a workplace, a country and a planet. Keep in touch with your friends and family, support each other and let them know how you are. This is especially important to remember if you are in self-isolation or quarantine. Us humans need socialisation!

Keep up your daily routine

Finally, try to keep a daily routine. It’s a known fact that exercise is great for your mental health, so try to integrate this. By switching the train or bus for a walk, you can feel the benefit of exercising and being outside, whilst also avoiding transport that may cause you anxiety at this moment. Also, find a daily activity that keeps your mind both stimulated and occupied such as reading, watching a film or even reorganising messy notes and files. If you self-isolate or go into quarantine, it’s extremely important that you still try to keep a daily routine, which means adapting these tips to fit into a home routine.

For further guidance on looking after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak, visit Mind.