By: Sammy Bellisario

Lifestyle Columnist for The Stories We Need to Hear Magazine

Whether you struggled with your mental health pre-pandemic or have found yourself dealing with mental health struggles post-pandemic your feelings are valid and trust me, you aren’t the only one! 53% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted by this virus. Seeing a mental health specialist is always one of the best options when it comes to finding ways to cope with mental illness and mental health struggles. There are also tons of great strategies I use myself that many others have found to improve their mental health and help them to stay motivated during these tough times. I compiled a list of some of my favorite healthy and relatively simple ways to prioritize self-care and mental health every day!

One of the best things I have found to help me feel balanced mentally and physically during the pandemic is keeping a schedule. While working from home, doing school from home, or whatever responsibilities you may have it can be really easy to slip into a negative cycle of sleeping too late, not getting ready for the day, eating unhealthily, missing out on exercise etc. This can be extremely damaging and throw off your mental and physical health. Whether your routine has changed this year or not, it’s important to try to keep some level of “normalcy” in your routine. Waking up at a relatively consistent time every day, washing my face and putting on a nice outfit has helped me to feel like my life is somewhat together and has helped my self-confidence throughout the pandemic. As much as I love to sleep in and wear sweatpants all day it can negatively affect my work ethic and body image when it becomes a habit.

In connection with that, exercise is essential during these times to stay mentally and physically healthy. Exercise can be as simple as going for a 30 minute walk a day. I struggled at the beginning of the pandemic with staying healthy because my local gym was closed and I had a hard time finding motivation on my own. I have gotten a lot better at keeping active by practicing a variety of free or very inexpensive activities. I love to walk my dog or go on socially distant walks with family and friends. I bought cheap hand weights and exercise bands to work on my strength and have gotten very invested in doing short dance workouts on YouTube. These dance workouts also offer many different genres of music which I find helps raise my mood and keeps me going during my workouts.

1. Hand weights, dog walks, Youtube dance routines.

One of the biggest struggles for many people during the pandemic revolves around the lack of social stimulation and the isolation that we have all experienced. Humans are extremely social creatures and this is one of the first times that everyone in the world has lacked this interaction. Thankfully, in the world of technology there are so many safe ways to stay connected with family and friends. I have become a frequent Zoom user, for work and pleasure. Scheduling calls with friends weekly is a great way to connect and is extremely valuable for your mental health. This social stimulation can also happen through socially distant activities within your city guidelines and is one of my favorite ways to stay sane during these tough times.

“Scheduling calls with friends weekly is a great way to connect and is extremely valuable for your mental health.”

Another great option to stimulate your body and mind is through meditation. I will admit that I have struggled with this at times. So many of my friends have found peace in meditation and being mindful which has motivated me to work on it myself. As someone with ADHD I already struggle with focus on a daily basis and the whole purpose of meditation and mindfulness is to focus and train your brain. I highly recommend getting started with this practice, even a few times a week if you can. This is also a great way to control anxiety/ panic disorder by learning to control your breathing. One of my favorite ways to practice meditation and mindfulness is through the app Headspace. It has also helped me with my sleep schedule which began to be negatively affected during the beginning of the pandemic.

“One of my favorite ways to practice meditation and mindfulness is through the app Headspace.”

Finally, one of my favorite ways to stay busy and keep my mind healthy is taking up a new hobby or learning a new skill. This has been such a great way for me to stimulate my mind and improve my confidence by reminding myself that I’m still capable of learning and expanding my knowledge. I have been trying to learn Italian whenever I have time by using the app Duolingo and talking with friends who are more advanced in their language learning than I am. This has been a great way to keep my friends and I accountable and has been a good goal for me to focus on during these difficult times. Hobbies can be very simple or more complex depending on what you have interest in. Take up reading, learn to play an instrument, start painting and drawing or even complete a complex puzzle. All of these things are a great distraction and will only positively impact your mental health.

1. Read a book, learn a new language, play an instrument, or do a puzzle!

Overall, this pandemic has been challenging for all of us in different ways and it is important to remember that we’re all doing our best with what coping skills we have. Seeing a mental health professional is always the best option for healing your psyche and focusing on self-care is always essential when prioritizing your mental health. Caring for your mind is just as important as caring for your body. Be kind to yourself & don’t ever be afraid to reach out for help!