Today, people are dealing with an outbreak of pandemic COVID 19. The novel Coronavirus has infected 12.4M people across the world and the death toll rate has crossed 559K as of 10th July 2020. It is spreading rapidly day by day. Nations are under quarantine. We hear about the same disappointing news every day on TV, newspaper, social media or talking with friends/family.
In this global pandemic, we are facing difficulties to maintain our mental state of mind because of staying at home, social distancing, isolation, fear of unemployment , economic instability, break in daily routine, fear of getting infected, anxiety, depression and uncertainty. It has badly affected our industries like Hotel, Travel and Tourism, airlines, education and many more. It will be challenging for everyone to stay positive and optimistic in this stressful environment.
Staying positive in today’s pandemic environment must be a priority to all of us. One should try to learn a positive mindset approach towards life and focus on all that is good in their life. This positive mindset will help you to utilize your energy in the right direction. It will help you to accomplish your dreams and goals and bring you happiness and satisfaction even during tough times. It is often said that good things happen to those with good positive mindset.
Here, there are some essential tips to stay positive, focused, optimistic and productive.
- Create Fixed Routine
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Take a Break from News
- Learning New Skills
- Stay Connected
- Eat Healthy and Sleep Well
- Laugh More
- “Me” Time
- Playing Games with Your Family/Partner
- Do House Hold Chores Together
- Cook Special Meals for Your Family
- Helping Others
Create Fixed Routine:-
Fixed Routine has become more important for all of us when we are self quarantined and working from home for almost 4 months. It will bring a sense of purpose in our life. You should try to make a fixed schedule about your food, exercises, studies/work, daily activities and sleep. If you are doing work from home, create a dedicated work space to stay focused and limit yourself from distraction. You should try to stick with fixed routine so you don’t feel bored and down. It can help you to be more productive in your task.
Exercise:-
It should be the main priority of your daily routine. It will help you to increase your overall health and well being. It can have a positive effect on your mood by releasing tension, anxiety, fear and depression which are caused by coronavirus pandemic. It can also strengthen your immunity which reduces your risk of illness and infection. During exercises, your body releases chemicals like endorphins which is helpful to improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. It can act as a stress reliever. You can start with any kind of home based exercises like stretching the body, yoga, weight lifting, jumping jack, skipping, aerobics and walking. So, try to include an exercise routine into your day.
Meditation:-
As per Wikipedia, Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear state. One should start their day with a mindful meditation for at least 15 minutes. It brings our brain into an alpha state which will help you quiet your mind; achieve deep relaxation, increase happiness and positivity. It cleanses and nourishes you from within. So, the mind becomes completely fresh. I generally prefer it in the early morning instead of doing it at any time. It will help you to stay positive throughout the day.
Take a Break from News:-
You could watch a 24 hours news channel or read countless articles regarding coronavirus and overload your mind full of negativity, anxiety and fear. Too much news consumption can also affect your positivity and sleep. Instead, one should try to avoid looking up for the news every time. You should choose a specific time of the day from reliable resources to keep yourself updated from the current news and try to skip watching the news when you wake up or before going to bed to stay away from negativity.
Learning New Skills:-
If you have thought about acquiring new skills, this is the perfect time for us. We should use this time as an opportunity to learn a new skill such as new technologies from online resources to expand our knowledge, any musical instruments, art-craft activities, painting, cooking /baking, reading or whatever makes you happy. Do something creative and be engaged to utilize your energy in the right direction.
Stay Connected:-
Staying connected with friends & family is one of the most important ways to keep your mind positive and manage your mental health during self isolation. There are plenty of ways available to keep in touch with your loved one via telephone, email, social media or video conferencing. Talk with your friends/ families that make you feel better and charge yourself with positive energy.
Eat Healthy and Sleep Well:-
You should take care of yourself by eating healthy food that boosts your immune system. You should increase your intake of fruits and veggies which provides you essential vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants. There is a close relationship between diet and mood. Healthy diet can significantly change your mood and well being.
Adequate sleep is one of the influencing factors to stay positive. A good 7-9 hours of quality sleep is essential for reducing your stress. It helps you to forget about a bad day, to feel refreshed, to start your day with full of energy and positivity.
Laugh More:-
This is also one of the most important steps you should do to stay positive and optimistic. Thanks to the huge popularity of YouTube and Web series, there are thousands of funniest videos that can help you to feel relaxed and happy instantly and take off your mind from current events. It is said that laughter is the best medicine. A laugh reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine and increases the level of endorphins which can help you to feel relaxed. It also improves your blood circulation and strengthens your immune system. You should also try out happiness or laughter yoga.
“Me” time:-
Staying at home all the time can be really stressful for everyone. So, “me” time is required to avoid irritability and negative emotions which are generated through global pandemic. Spending time with yourself is a very important thing that can help you to increase productivity, gratitude, happiness and positivity. It also provides you opportunities to look at yourself and prioritize your important tasks. Sometimes we become very busy in our daily routine that we forget about the following questions.
- What do we want to achieve in our life?
- What is important for us?
- What is our goal?
- What is our plan?
So, we should start taking time for self discovery to find out those answers. We should schedule some “me” time everyday at least 30 minutes just for you. By doing these, you will feel more focused, motivated and positive during these tough times.
Playing Games with Your Family/Partner:-
One of the things couples/family should do is playing games. Playing games keeps our mind engaged during this anxiety producing environment of COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers have found that playing game releases oxytocin (love hormone) when couples spend time together in these activities. It can help us to increase our logical thinking, improve our relationship and make our life more fun. You can play Chess, Checkers, Monopoly, Clue, Jenga, Qwirkle, Pictionary, Dominion, Cards, Ludo, Carrom, Tic-Tac-Toe and many more.
Do House Hold Chores Together:-
Most of the people are not taking any domestic help or maid servant to protect their family from the spread of coronavirus. So, considering these situations, the household chores should be taken care of by all family members. We should make a list of chores and divide the responsibility and duties between each of the family members. So, no one can get irritated and burdened with the workload. It can be really a fun event. According to new research, especially couples who do chores together are happier and create a strong bond between them.
Cook Special Meals for Your Family:-
Restaurants might be closed in your area or you might not be comfortable to order it from outside as a preventive measure against coronavirus. It has given us opportunities to cook a meal for our loved one at home and make them feel special. You can take advantage of freely available information on YouTube and experiment with new delicious recipes and be a master in cooking. It will also help you to protect your family against coronavirus by avoiding outside food.
Helping Others:-
Helping others is not only good for that person but it is an easy way to make you feel better instantly. A study shows that it will enhance your overall sense of purpose and identity. One should protect themselves and be supportive to others who might need some extra assistance. It will help them to live their life comfortable in these difficult times by maintaining social distancing.
Hopefully, with these tips, you will be able to keep from all the negativity and stay positive through tough times. Did you try any of the above tips? Please feel free to share your experience.
Stay at home, Stay positive and follow the government’s guidelines to slow down the spread of coronavirus.
Related: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
Related: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/
Thank you so much for your kind support.
Nirali.
Life Tips 