It’s important to prioritise your mental wellbeing just as much as your physical. While it may seem like the world is caving in, sometimes a few simple self-care practices can pull you out and calm your mind.
We spoke to Brittany from Brthe meditation studio to find out her tips for looking after yourself in trying times.
1. Journal
While it’s important not to focus solely on what’s happening in the world, burying those feelings down won’t do any good either.
Writing down your thoughts through journaling is a great way to reflect and channel your feelings.
Take a moment to check-in and honour your concerns and fears. Here are some prompts:
- What emotions are coming up for me right now?
- How do these emotions feel in my body?
- Is there any thoughts I can let go of or reframe?
- What can I do to support myself in this moment?
2. Meditate and breathe
While it may sound cliche, meditation is a hugely beneficial tool in times of stress. A simple meditation practice or breathing exercise is a quick way to hack the nervous system out of the stress response. This in turn, strengthens immunity.
Click here for a simple breath practices you can try at home.
3. Consume news and social media mindfully
We all want to stay informed but honour your emotional boundaries with what and how much you consume. Constantly refreshing news pages can quickly lead to more stress and anxiety.
Try create boundaries – like not looking at your newsfeed when you first wake up and right before bed.
Don’t give in to sensationalist news and misinformation – stick to government websites, trusted news sites and sources that are sharing helpful content.
4. Stay connected
Social distancing does not mean psychologically and emotionally distancing ourselves from others.
We need each other more than ever. In stressful situations it can be easy to get caught up in our own fear and anxiety, but for 1 in 4 people who have an existing mental health disorder it’s an even tougher time.
Reach out to at least one person today (loved ones, neighbours, elderly) by text or even better phone, to check in on how they are doing.
5. Channel your emotions into creativity
Take some of this extra downtime to turn to practices that soothe the nervous system by engaging your right brain.
Writing, baking, dancing, time in nature, painting, reading, these are all great creative outlets for you to channel your emotions into.
