How to Protect your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Outbreak
- Aleksa Jarasunas
- Mar 24, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 27, 2020
Over the last month, the whole world has been tracking the spread of a new coronavirus, COVID-19. We have watched the virus infiltrate and disrupt daily life in China, Europe, and now the United States. Currently, most of us are practicing social distancing to prevent transmission of the virus; we are not attending school, hanging out with friends, or going to restaurants. We are instead spending all of our time indoors by ourselves. Given that humans are social creatures, it is no surprise that a quarantine can harm mental health by increasing anxiety, anger, sleep disturbances, depression, PTSD, etc. (1). Thus, it is important that you take the steps below to combat this slew of social distancing “symptoms.”
Maintain Virtual Connections with Friends
Even though you can’t see your friends in person, you should still virtually connect with them to maintain your mental health. In fact, researchers analyzed the results of the Attitudes and Values Survey and found that social connectivity was one of the strongest determinants of mental well-being (2). You should therefore make an effort everyday to contact a friend through text, FaceTime, or social media. You can also use Netflix Party, a feature that allows friends to chat while watching Netflix shows and movies in sync.
Exercise
Practicing social distancing does not mean that you have to sit in your bed all day. Instead, you should incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Exercise is essential to enhancing mental health; Dr. Smits and his colleagues found that individuals’ depressive symptoms reduced after exercising regularly for 12 weeks (3). Now is the perfect time to take advantage of those hand weights sitting in your garage! However, you do not have to own workout equipment to improve your mood; you can still do simple exercises such as push-ups or squats in any room of your house.
Practice Gratitude
Writing down what you are thankful for is one of the best habits that you can adopt during this stressful period. Lyubomirsky’s research supports this suggestion, as he found that individuals experienced more happiness after frequently recounting their blessings for six weeks (4). Hence, you should treat everyday like Thanksgiving! This habit will help you remember the positive aspects in your life and hopefully bring a smile to your face.
Meditate
You may sometimes feel overwhelmed when watching the news and learning more about our world’s precarious state. In these moments, you should unplug, close your eyes, and try to clear your mind. In fact, researchers have found that undergraduates’ positive moods increased and anxiety levels decreased after meditating for three weeks (5). Although meditating may be difficult when surrounded by chaos, this activity can help you achieve a stable emotional state.
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