Five Ways to Improve Your Mental Health During Quarantine
Get your mind right, girl!
by AYANNA HERNDON ★ MAY 5, 2020
Along with (religiously) wearing sweatpants and binge-watching reality shows that are surprisingly addicting (Love is Blind!), there’s a lot to do to keep yourself occupied. With the current turn of events, people can be scared and stressed! Now more than ever, it’s important to talk about ways to boost our mental health. Here are some tips to improve your mental state during this quarantine!
Journaling:
Seemingly surface level, jotting down the thoughts that occupy your mind has some amazing benefits for your mental health. They range from helping to heal and organize childhood traumas that are difficult to talk about, to helping one manifest the goals and aspirations they want to achieve in their lifetime. The same way you talk to a friend for some advice, journaling has monumental effects on helping unpack stresses that take up headspace, while having the opportunity to plan and strategize future goals. It’s a type of written communication where one can record their feelings either surface level or deeper in privacy.
Credit: VSCO
Facial steaming with fruits:
Not to diss the packaged face mask enthusiasts, but natural skincare remedies go off in a different type of way. During the quarantine, the limited opportunity to go outside causes people to want a connection to natural emblems more than ever. Taking citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, herbs like ginger, and flora like hibiscus flowers can have great benefits to your skin and your mental health. Facial steaming is boiling household items to set under the face. This cleanses pores, removes toxins from the skin, improves breathing, and breaks down mucus that builds up in the lungs and the nasal passageway.
Credit: VSCO
Listening to music:
In a time where music playlists can be someone’s love language, it’s not unknown knowledge that music has amazing effects on the mind. Listening to music in your weak moments can easily turn a stressful day into club quarantine, and serves as a mood booster. Spending at least 30 minutes a day listening to music and dancing can improve mood and activity! Whether it’s a “Throwback Thursday” playlist to get you moving, or playing the same TikTok song 37 times in a row, it’s healthy for your mind to listen to music.
Credit: VSCO
Sage:
Seen by some critics as creepy and superficial, sage is an herb with real benefits. The collection of woody stems, flowers, and leaves can not only expel negative vibes, but it purifies the air, helping to kill bacteria. Mentally, lighting sage in your house has been proven to potentially decrease anxiety, stress, and improve sleep. Just make sure you don’t burn down the house though because nobody wants their house to be lit AF.
Credit: VSCO
Learning something new:
With the lockdown keeping people at home, more people are finding the time to learn something they have always wanted to potentially master. Whether it’s trying to become the next master baker of banana bread, or reading, learning something new can give you a new perspective on life. During this time, people can feel like their life is out of control, but learning something new can sharpen your mind and help you grow mentally during this quarantine. Even online platforms like LinkedIn, Adobe, and Masterclass offer deals on learning classes and tutorials.
Credit: VSCO
Positive mental health is essential to maintain, and it’s not to get confused with perfect mental health. But hopefully, with these tips, we can all keep hope alive and keep believing that we will prevail through the COVID-19 pandemic! And like always, don’t be afraid to reach out to a licensed professional if you feel like it’s necessary!