With COVID-19 still threatening our existence and that of many around the globe, a lot of things have had to be put on hold. One major service that falls into this category is therapy for people suffering from mental health issues. Even if an assault occurred in 1993, it is still possible to find yourself dealing with the trauma and finding ways to cope with a whopping 27 years later.
At the beginning of this year, there were people who finally found the strength to deal with issues and face long avoided pain. But, having it halted by the lockdown obviously seems like a huge setback to the progress made. Below are a few techniques you can practice to not deter the progress you have made towards having good mental health.
1. Deep Breaths
When it comes to stress management and mental wellbeing, taking deep breaths is one of the most recommended techniques. While this may seem a bit cliché, it is effective because the repeated activity sends a message to your brain that everything will be fine. Before you even realize it, your heart rate slows down and you are finally able to relax.
2. Mental Reframing
Mental reframing involves changing negative emotions and stressors into positive ones. For the most part, perfecting this technique can see you through tough situations. All that is required is that you steer in the opposite way your emotions are taking you towards. For example, if you feel anger or frustration, counter that feeling by meditating to calm your spirit.
3. Destressing Activities
Destressing activities are basically the ones that move your focus from the source of stress to other things. The best de-stressing activities usually have a rhythm to them examples are exercises, coloring/ painting, reading, and short brisk walks. Clinical studies show that people experience an improved mood and less anxiety by simply spending 20-30 minutes on a colouring book daily.
4. Emotional Awareness:
It is often said that the first step to healing is acknowledgment. Based on that fact alone, there is no use in pushing away negative thoughts completely without acknowledging them. If you do, this will only lengthen your healing progress.
When we feel emotions like anxiety, it is best to allow yourself to pay attention to it and maybe try to make sense of it as to what could have triggered this feeling. Then, you can play calming music or engage in other ways to relax like breathing deeply or meditating as mentioned earlier.
5. Maintain a Gratitude Journal:
Writing down your feelings (whether positive or negative) allows you to air out your thoughts. Further, reading what you have written down in many cases, can make you feel better. Now imagine the effect of maintaining a gratitude journal.
Gratitude journals offer you an avenue to focus on all the things going right in your life - people, possessions, and experiences you are grateful for. It could range from a person to your pet, or even your hairdresser who always cuts your hair perfectly.
Stay committed to these techniques and you will be sure to maintain and even improve your mental health progress.
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