Strengthening Your Mental Health

 

The fear that COVID19 has instilled in us has made so many people anxious to the point that others may have been totally paralyzed from performing their usual tasks. It is tough to keep a positive attitude when you know that the solution to the problem is still not evident until this day. These times can trigger many mental health-related conditions. However, it is still essential to keep your sanity intact, if not for yourself, at least for your family.

We all have been through some kind of worst situation in our lives even before COVID19 happened. How were you able to deal with it? Entrepreneurs often come across these challenges. This is why 30% of startups just do not succeed in their first year. Because entrepreneurs have given up so quickly and did not fight for what they initially thought was a great idea.

In my almost 35 years in the business, I have not been spared from going through struggles, and I must admit, it is challenging work to get myself out of the dark hole. When I feel troubled with things around me, I pray hard and condition my mind that everything will get better eventually. Nothing comes in an instant. You just need to be always patient and program your mind to take little steps. Until you have freed yourself from the gripping binds of fear, hopelessness, and insecurity.

Watching the news and reading other information shared on various social media platforms about various tragic news can all be discouraging to go on with life. Especially our entrepreneurs who need to sacrifice so much. Because of the people being asked to just stay at home, the usual foot traffic towards their stores would have gone down to zero. However, it is fortunate that some businesses were able to still continue their operation despite the enhanced community quarantine. But, nevertheless, everything around us is still not the “normal” that we have all been accustomed to. And one can just go crazy thinking about how to survive this global disruption.

Keeping a Healthy Mind

Indeed, COVID19 has practically changed our lives. For those who are used to be working more than the necessary number of working hours, being at home 24/7 may just seem like being in a dark room for an eternity. But, instead of seeing the situation negatively, consider this as the best time to bond with the family. And at the same time to give yourself a much-deserved break.

Develop an assertive attitude. Acknowledge and accept that you need to play a role, and you can change its course. For example, you might say, “I failed to take care of my family by providing them what they need. Because I have spent so much time with work and other people that I overlooked their needs. But I can do better. I can work harder for the family and will still be able to provide quality time with them.” With that, you have the power wherein you have actions that you need to do to alter your circumstances.

Let’s say you are an entrepreneur, and your business has been terribly affected by our current situation. Not being able to create a “backup plan” when such a situation occurs will definitely affect your revenue, as well as your employees. Maybe you opted to just close the store completely but left a lot of products that can still be sold at this time. There is still time to turn things around. You just need to believe that you can still salvage your business and that your employees will still be there to help you.

Give yourself time to be with yourself. Learn to know yourself more. Make a small part of your house your meditation spot and tell family members to stay away from that spot when you need to meditate. You need to relax your mind and body and not be overwhelmed with what is happening. Give your brain some time to fix itself. We can only do so much on our end. We are not all scientists who can create a magic potion that will just make the virus disappear. Our contribution to the community is to always practice proper hygiene, to stay at home. If there is a need to leave the house to go to the supermarket or pharmacy, we need to practice social distancing and wear a face mask while in public.

Get a night of better sleep. How many hours a day did you use to have before the pandemic. I am sure that you have to spend just a little over 4 hours. But during the community quarantine, you might be waking up around 7 am, which you usually do at 5 am. Enjoy the comfort of your bedroom and savor the moments of not having to be up and too busy.

Not everything is within our control. Getting too anxious will be of no help. It can hurt you more than you think. When we immerse our thoughts with negative things, it makes our bodies weaken. Instead of lingering with such views, throw your energy into doing a workout. It can be fun, too, if you do it with the whole family.

Maybe this is also when you can show your family the side that they haven’t seen, like cooking for them, initiating a game where the whole family can enjoy, letting the kids learn how to clean their rooms or other skills.

If we are still not back to the “normal” that we knew, the only way to live healthily and sanely is to take one day at a time. Focus on what is in front of you. Instead of bursting your head thinking of so many things all at the same time. You only hurt yourself more if you linger on negative thoughts.

Make your mind busy with something positive and something that can still make yourself productive even if our movements are still limited due to the pandemic. Believe that this is just another chapter of your life and that we can all bounce back to where we should be.

If you think that it has become too difficult for you to handle this kind of stress, there are people whom you can turn to – professionals who can help you be enlightened. Just hang in there!

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You may contact Armando “Butz” Bartolome for questions and more information.

By email: [email protected]

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