10 tips to look after your mental health during a crisis

For many of us this current pandemic is causing anxiety and negatively impacting our mental health so I thought I’d share my 10 tips which could help.

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10 tips to look after your mental health in a crisis

1 Create a daily routine

Life is changing for a while and whether you’re staying at home or social distancing, it’s likely there’ll be some disruption to your normal routine.

Think about how you can adapt and create positive new routines and set yourself some goals.

You might find it helpful to write a plan for your day or your week. While I’m still on maternity leave I’m sticking with the same shower routine, when I’m doing the housework and my blogging work.

I write myself a daily to do list at night for the following day which helps to focus my mind. Even if this is just as simple as:

• Get up
• Make the bed
• Get washed and dressed
• Go for a walk

Actually ticking items off a list is cathartic and helps you to feel more in control.

If you’re working from home, try to get up and get ready in the same way as normal, keep to the same hours you would usually work and stick to the same sleeping schedule.

I’ve shared my 10 tips for working from home which you might find useful.

You could set a new time for a daily home workout, pick a regular time to clean, read, watch a TV programme or film, or cook. There’s plenty of free workout content such as the daily PE sessions with Joe Wicks which are really popular or even simply just go for a walk.

2 Limit your news consumption

Try to limit the time you spend watching, reading or listening to news coverage of the outbreak, including on social media.

It’s also worth thinking about turning off breaking-news alerts on your phone.

While it’s important to be aware of the current up to date safety information it’s not necessary or healthy to be glued to the news.

You could set yourself a specific time to read updates or limit yourself to checking a couple of times a day.

There’s a lot of Facebook “experts” out there providing misinformation and causing more harm than good.

So use trustworthy sources – such as GOV.UK or the NHS website – and fact-check information from the news, social media or other people.

3 Make time for self-care and to relax

This can help with difficult emotions and worries, and improve our wellbeing. Relaxation techniques can also help deal with feelings of anxiety.

I’ve shared my top tips to de-stress with lots of ideas you might like to try.

You could also:

• try NHS Choice’s 10 simple stress busters
• use calming breathing exercises
• listen to an anxiety control audio guide

For some other inspiration here’s my 25 ideas for self-care in spring – of course some of these you won’t be able to do during social distancing and isolation.

4 Look after your sleep

Good-quality sleep makes a big difference to how we feel, so it’s important to get enough.

Try to maintain your regular sleeping pattern and stick to good sleep practices.

There’s some useful tips on preparing your bedroom for sleep on the sleep tech firm Simba’s website which are really helpful.

I’m trying to go to bed at the same time every night and not drink too much caffeine. Writing a to do list for the next day means I’m not lying in bed thinking about what I’ve got to do tomorrow.

5 Keep your mind active

Read, write, play games, do crosswords, complete sudoku puzzles, finish jigsaws, or try drawing and painting.

Whatever it is, find something that works for you.

If you have a tablet or e-reader download some new books from somewhere like Bookbub where you get a daily email with titles in genres you like for really cheap or even free.

There’s lots of tutorial style videos on YouTube if you wanted to brush up your art or craft skills and lots of inspiration on Pinterest.

6 Keep your body active and look after it

Our physical health really affects how we feel. Try to make sure you and your family have healthy, well-balanced meals, drink enough water and exercise regularly.

As tempting as it is to binge Disney+ or Netflix too much lounging on the sofa will leave you feeling tired and sluggish.

Get outside for a walk or a run if you can, or join in a workout on YouTube in your living room.

7 Talk about your feelings and worries

It’s perfectly normal and common to feel worried, scared or helpless about the current situation. Remember, it’s ok to not be ok and to share your concerns with others you trust – doing so could help them too.

Just because you can’t see friends or family in person doesn’t mean you can’t text, ring or video chat with them.

Or you could try a charity helpline or webchat. Please reach out and don’t bottle up your feelings and worries.

Here’s a useful list of mental health helplines and websites. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/

8 Connect with others

Maintaining healthy relationships with people you trust is important for your mental wellbeing. Think about how you can stay in touch with friends and family while you’re at home – by phone, messaging, video calls or online – whether it’s people you usually see often, or reconnecting with old friends or neighbours.

Lots of people are finding the current situation difficult, so staying in touch could help them too.

I have a few WhatsApp group chats on the go and I’m regularly checking in with family and friends.

We invested in a Facebook portal so we video chat with mine and Steve’s parents as much as we can.

9 Avoid alcohol, smoking and drugs

Drinking and smoking can negatively impact your mental health. When you’ve had a few drinks you can feel more depressed and anxious the next day, and it can be harder to concentrate.

Evidence shows that regular drinking can increase the risk of more than 60 serious illnesses, and alcohol can cause up to seven different types of cancer.

Drinking can also damage your mental health as it can lead to increased anxiety levels and changes in behaviour. Alcohol is a depressant and can lower levels of serotonin (our ‘happiness’ hormone) in our brains.

Here’s some tips to help you take days off the booze.

It’s a common belief that smoking helps you relax but smoking actually increases anxiety and tension.

According to the NHS smokers are also more likely than non-smokers to develop depression over time.

Here’s some tips to give quitting smoking a go.

10 Practice mindfulness

There are lots of great free apps you can use to guide you through breathing techniques and meditation that can help ease your anxiety and clear your mind of any anxious thoughts.

Here’s some relaxation and mindfulness apps which you can download on your phone or tablet

Why not also try some yoga as a way to relax and also get some gentle exercise which can boost your mood? There are lots of YouTube videos you can use to suit your ability and level of mobility and other workout plans and ideas on Pinterest too.

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Do you have any other tips to help look after your mental health? Share them in the comments below.

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Other related posts

Gust post – mental health is just as important as physical health

Here’s the things to consider when talking to someone with low mental health

See how I got back on track thanks to self-care time

Here’s the 7 signs your relationship is harming your mental health

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