Mental health has taken on a whole new meaning throughout the pandemic. With Covid-19 taken over the world, so many people have been sharing their ways of coping throughout the madness. Some examples I’ve seen have been DIYs around their home, more self-care, and at-home fitness during lunch breaks. All of these things being done to keep afloat.
Before I go any further, I’ll preface by saying that the end of 2019 was a hard time for me. Although I had just gotten married, a series of events had taken place that triggered my mental state. When I reflect back, I’m shocked I was actually able to keep my shit together before our wedding. However, when we got back from our honeymoon I completely fell a part and turned for darker days. It was extremely challenging, had taken over, and it was a side that Shaun never really saw before.
Something Needed to Change
Constantly sad, getting overwhelmed by the smallest things, and the start to panic attacks were becoming somewhat familiar. It was scary for a minute there. As much as Shaun was there to help, it was something to tackle on my own. I began diving into my OG ways of dealing with emotions and frustrations. I found myself turning to the gym and yoga sessions at home. It was by far, the best thing I could have ever done for myself.
Every day (even on days I was completely physically and mentally exhausted) I went to the gym or did a yoga session. People on the treadmills around me must have thought I was crazy. I would go so hard on the elliptical that the machine would sometimes “jump” off the ground. It was my way of pouring out literally all of my emotions and frustrations out. After my 45-60 minutes, I felt like a completely new person each time. I was shocked at how much it was actually helping. I wasn’t doing it to loose weight, either. It was strictly for the mind and can’t begin to tell you just how much it helped. Endorphins are a game changer. I was on a great 3 months of bettering myself and it was the best I had felt in a while.
My Current Reality
Fast-forward to our current reality and my coping mechanism has been taken away. Something that helped so incredibly much is now off limits. Sure, I could still go for runs and do yoga at home, so what’s the big deal? The deal is that I had a routine that helped me. A routine that I morphed into my personal care package that I can no longer have.
The pandemic completely flipped my mental state upside down and it’s like I’m starting all over again. I’ve had a rough couple of days lately and I miss my routine more than anything right now. Finding new ways to keep my emotions and mind in check have become a new challenge these days. Some days are totally fine and others it’s hard to even brush my teeth. The good and bad days come in waves but it’s about finding behaviours and techniques to make the bad days more manageable.
I keep seeing the quote, “this too shall pass” everywhere and it resonated with me. This new normal isn’t forever and even if we can’t see the end of it right now, it will get better. I have added this saying to my morning reflections that I have with my coffee and I found it a good reminder to give myself. I also ordered The Five Minute Journal to help bring some calmness to my days. I’ve just begun using it and excited to see the positive benefits. If I can’t go to the gym, I sure can find another way to work on my mental health.
Are you working on your mental health throughout this time? If so, what are some things you’re doing to help you cope?
I hope that whatever your happy is right now that you’re able to completely dive into it. And remember to be kind to yourself throughout it all, too. No room for guilt or personal pressures at this time <3 If you’re looking for self-care ideas, you can check out my post, 8 self-care ideas you can do for yourself.
