We asked our contributors to share some mental health coping mechanisms that they have been utilising during Covid-19. From all of these pieces there is a strong message of being kind and patient with yourself, especially when the world around you feels so uncertain. Have a read of some of their pieces of advice and remember to take time out to look after yourself today.
Halimah Begum
When it comes to mental health coping mechanisms, it’s important to focus on your mindset. It is all about shifting your mentality towards optimism when you feel low, this is easier said than done. Reminding yourself of the things you have to be grateful for and the blessings you have can help. Manifestation is also a good way to generate more positivity: if you think it, it will come. Tell yourself that this tough time will pass and that you are going to be okay. I promise, you are going to be okay.
An important coping mechanism is to take a break if you need to and to allow yourself to be sad when you need to. Forcing a smile onto our faces when we have problems is not dealing with them – express your sadness, whether that is through painting or writing or even spending the whole day in bed. Take it easy and remember there is no need to force productivity out of yourself. Planning to move forward and keep on going is a way to give yourself a sense of togetherness at a time that may feel chaotic.
Rebecca Carey
Journal writing, meditation apps and making gratitude lists- it’s hard to know where to begin when taking steps to look after your mental health. It can be so overwhelming but there is a trick. Just start with one question a day.
I am too impatient for meditation, too competitive for Yoga and when it came to writing a journal, I felt that it was doing more harm than good. It became the place where I would channel all of my negativity. I would have no need for it when I was happy, and I lost track of when that was.
As we all know, lockdown days blur together and our emotions are all mixed up with them. I was finishing up my degree, missing my friends from university and was anxious about what my future outside lockdown would look like. I needed something manageable and constructive that might help me keep positive and self-aware.
How am I ? What did I learn today? What am I grateful for? Asking myself a question day is the emotional check-in I need. It’s a moment for myself to reflect in an active way. A chance to make mental health care as much a part of my routine as healthy eating and exercise. One question at a time.
Alice Manning
My recommendation is to create a morning routine that you love, and stick at it. For me, it’s about starting your day as you mean to go on. Not everyone is a morning person. I’m never at my best at this time of the day, which is why I choose to spend several minutes just allowing myself to wake up – whether it’s reading my current in-print book or magazine (checking your phone first thing in the morning is straining on the eyes), making myself my go-to breakfast and slowly enjoying it, or simply just allowing myself those extra few minutes in bed. The world of social media can convince us that we need to be 100% productive from the moment our eyes open when, in reality, this pressure only discourages productivity and encourages feelings of inadequacy and shame. Artist, author and social media influencer Florence Given points out that by “scrolling in the mornings” we are comparing other people’s best moments to our own lives before we have even woken up. Treating ourselves with kindness as we start the day will leave us ready for whatever may lie ahead.
Elaine Mc Callig
The idiosyncratic Agent Cooper from Twin Peaks summed it up best when he said: “Every day, once a day, give yourself a present”.
Before quarantine, my definition of self care was to allow myself to splash out on an out-of-budget skincare product, or sink eight hours of a day into a Netflix binge. During lockdown however, I’ve discovered a new meaning of the term; for me, it’s about sourcing genuine nourishment in all its forms.
The key for me is to find joy in the small things, conduct my day-to-day tasks as mindfully as possible, and as Agent Cooper suggests, “give yourself a present” every day. Is Cooper suggesting I do an ASOS haul? Not quite! This might be taking the time to prepare a meal that’s slightly higher in effort, or putting on a good podcast and going for a walk (I highly recommend Not Without My Sister). I rediscovered my love of reading and film, and after eight years of not playing the piano, I’ve been taking a crack at the keys. I’m awfully rusty, but the point is to relish in the small wins.
I think the notion of ‘becoming your best self’ during quarantine is a problematic message, though. Some days I’m just going through the motions, I’m just surviving. And that’s okay. Be kind to yourself.
Amy Murray
I have found that recording the highlights of my day each night has helped me cope with the monotony of lockdown. At the beginning I woke up feeling exhausted and unmotivated everyday. I got stuck in a rut and my mental health began to have a large effect on my productivity in finishing my final university assignments. When my younger sister’s 18th birthday came around things changed. We made an effort to do a few small things to make the day feel different from the rest. We went out on a walk, our parents cooked an incredible meal, and we all sat down and watched a film together. It was a lovely day and I didn’t want to forget what we did or how we felt. So, I found one of my many unused notebooks and made a list of things that had made me smile that day. Everyday since, I have written lists of various sizes and headed them with my defining success/moment of the day, which varies from “Went out on a long walk” to “Submitted my Dissertation”. Reflecting on what has made each day unique, no matter how big or small, has helped me to pull myself out of a darker, unmotivated place.
Featured image courtesy of Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
Elle Woods-Marshall
I'm a second year Durham student studying English Lit and Politics. Outside of my studies, I am involved in the student newspaper and radio as well as volunteering. I love reading poetry, crying over rom coms and eating burgers.