The pandemic has imposed several restrictions on our daily life! We can’t move around freely as we used to before. Also, no one knows when the pandemic curve would flatten down. Hence, it creates a sense of stress and uncertainty round the clock. Therefore, it has become imperative for everyone to take care of their mental health.
Mental health-boosting activities
If your mental health is affected, your entire being will face the consequences says Peter DeCaprio. You don’t feel happy when you are sad and anxious for a long time. Hence, it’s essential to engage in activities that will boost your mental health during this pandemic phase. Three such activities include:
- Deep breathing
Stress can bring upon common mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. However, it can also result in adverse effects on the body. For instance, it can suppress the immune system, making you vulnerable to more ailments. You can’t always avoid stress, but you can manage it in a way that doesn’t affect your lifestyle. One of the best practices you can start to bring down your stress is deep breathing. It would help if you inhaled in such a way that the air comes through your nose and completely fills the lungs. It helps to slow the heart rate and also stabilize the blood pressure. When you practice deep breathing regularly, it helps you to feel connected to your body and raises your awareness.
- Reading
Bibliotherapy indicates either voluntary or structured book-reading to relieve mental health issues. Reading helps to bring down an individual’s depressive symptoms. When you read a good book, it can calm the mind and also relax the body. That, in turn, helps to minimize blood pressure and ease you completely.
Also, several studies have shown that it can have specific benefits when you read a work of fiction. When a person is invested in a fictional character, it helps maximize the reader’s empathy, enhance their social skills, and enhance their interpersonal understanding. Are you getting overwhelmed by your present life condition? If yes, you can take an interest in a book and can read it to bring down your stress and anxiety.
- Exercise
According to Peter DeCaprio, aerobic exercise is considered one such activity that might require some nudging for you. However, once you start this workout, you will feel happy that you opted in for it. The main reason for this is that it helps to boost your mood. Also, there is evidence that physical exercise is an efficient tool that leads to mental health care. Also, aerobic exercises such as dancing, jogging, walking, cycling, and swimming help to bring down depression and anxiety. That aside, it can also result in a host of benefits such as:
- Enhanced cardiovascular health and reduced cholesterol
- Improved sleep
- Improved mental alertness
- Stress relief
- Increased stamina and energy
- Enhanced mood
Hence, if you find that you have increased anxiety levels, you can count on a daily exercise regime to lessen the same.
People must take charge of their mental health during this testing time. The activities mentioned above can help in gaining better mental health.