Relax Fast Podcast: 6 Small Actions To Revive Your Spirit During COVID Times

Relax Fast Podcast · Relax Fast Podcast: Ways to Self Care for Stress and Anxiety During COVID-19

Maintain Mental Wellbeing With Simple Daily Actions Designed To Boost Your Brain

It can be difficult enough to stay motivated and grounded with the stress of normal life...but a global pandemic poses a whole new set of challenges to our mental health. It is a shock to lose the things we usually do to entertain us, amuse us, pacify us, and sedate us. So how do we keep our spirits up when adapting to a new normal is so incredibly d raining?

Today I’ll share six simple actions you can take every day to restore your mind, body, and spirit during these difficult times. The best part is that they don’t take much time or energy, perfect for if you’re already struggling with stress-related fatigue. Let’s dive in!

#1 Add Structure To Your Day

If you’re not accustomed to working or staying in your home constantly, the days can quickly start blurring into one another. Combat the anxiety and listlessness of unstructured home time by building routine into your day!

Even if you have nothing to do, get up at the same time every day, make your bed, hydrate, have breakfast, and enjoy some physical activity if you can. Adding structure to your day is the best way to ease your brain into a more balanced state and maintain productivity during an otherwise low-activity time.

#2 Curb Your News Consumption

Staying informed amidst a constantly changing landscape is important. However, I highly recommend mindfully keeping your news consumption in check. Give yourself a 5 to 15 minute time block every day where you tune into someone you trust for information, and don't go beyond that. Any excess just engenders fear about all the things you have no control over...so give yourself the gift of stepping away from it!

#3 Be Creative With Staying Connected

The connections we have with others is our most precious commodity. Just because you’re physically distancing doesn’t mean that you have to socially distance (in the true sense of the word!) Make an effort to reach out and connect with someone you care about every day, be in on the phone, Zoom or Skype.

Holidays and occasions that fall during distancing also pose a big social challenge, but nothing a little creativity can’t solve! For instance, my family decided to celebrate the Jewish Passover holiday with a virtual seder on Zoom. Was it a bit strange to video conference for Passover? Yes! But was it worth it to create closeness as best we could? Absolutely! Being creative with social interactions will help you to really enjoy life the way it is right now instead of spending it isolated and alone.

#4 Stock Up On Sleep

Feeling overly fatigued and drowsy lately? Having a hard time waking up in the morning, falling asleep, or staying asleep? Experiencing weird dreams? You aren’t alone. The stress of a global pandemic and social distancing exerts real trauma on our minds and bodies. And when the brain is saturated with stress and trauma, the body’s energy levels are among the first things to get affected.

Give yourself permission to enjoy more sleep at a time when your brain is spending more energy processing. I’ve found that going to bed early and sleeping in a bit later helps me stay level and mentally refreshed. You can even work in small naps to reset yourself on particularly difficult days.

#5 Move Your Body...Preferably Outside!

Physical exercise -- even light activity like walking -- releases a cascade of stress-fighting chemical responses in our bodies. Japanese studies have even found that a brief 30 minute walk in a forest can cause cortisol (the stress hormone) levels in the body to drop dramatically!

Even if you don’t have a forest nearby, a daily walk around your neighborhood or sitting beneath a tree in the yard can do wonders for your mind, body, and spirit. I have adopted the habit of taking my daily walk rain or shine, and have found that it revives my feeling of connection to the real world and other people...even if it’s a silent wave to a stranger from across the street.

#6 Use Gratitude To Focus On What You Have

This is a time where all of us have had to adapt to going without things that we largely took for granted. The loss of basic activities, entertainment, and social time can lead to a negative fixation on what you don’t have. You might think , "oh, I can't meet my friends for a drink or go to a movie... and that event I was looking forward to was cancelled.” Instead, shift your focus to everything you DO have. This simple trick can completely transform your emotional state and outlook on life.

Practice making a gratitude list and get in the habit of doing it the same time every day. I do mine in the morning as I'm having coffee because that's always a regular in my life. Simply write down five things in your life that you're grateful for, and feel your mood lift immediately!

I hope that these small actions bring you closer to feelings of peace, acceptance, and strength during these challenging times. There is no better time than now to do the little things that make you feel better and boost your mental health. Reach out to one another, be kind to yourself, focus on gratitude, and know that we’ll all get through this together.