How to maintain your mental well being during lock down?

In these uncertain and unprecedented times it is important for us all to keep monitor of our physical and mental well being in order to survive through this situation and get out the other side stronger, wiser, productive and skilled. Lock down is affecting each person differently as each person’s situation currently is different, some have large houses with open air and garden whilst others are trapped in their small flats.Some of you are all alone at home while others are with their families,but no matter how you are keeping right now this lock down is affecting the way you think, feel and act

Although we are seeing some partial removal of imposed restrictions and government talks on easing lock down measures in some countries, however it is going to take time for things to get back to the way they used to be. Even after the easing up of these measures, social distancing will continue, and employees will need time to return to offices, so remote working will continue to be a common practice for companies

In order to keep yourself in the best shape during this crisis we have come up with a few guidelines to maintain your mental well being

1. Express Yourself
You may be feeling a lot different during this crisis as it may have affected you but so it has done to others, Its okay to feel how you do right now, what you need to do is open up about your feelings to your confidants,Friends,family and colleagues.Talk about it with them some people may also prefer to express differently maybe through drawings,paintings, art and writing etc. Keeping it in might suppress your emotions and can have negative affect on your mind & body, try to keep yourself in check and stay positive

2. Stay positive:
Optimism is the key, we all know we are going to get out of this crisis at some point in time , sooner or later but we will all be eventually out of it, how you deal with this and stay put during this time will define how you are going to be when this all ends Negativity can only make this worse, try to stay away from news and rumors spread through social media as much as possible and please don’t keep regular track of the death count/ people affected through this disease in your country or the world for it is not a scoreboard .In these unprecedented time you need to stay positive and spread positivity among your friends, family and community.

3. Maintain work life balance:
During these times home and work space has become the same, which could lead to maintaining work-life balance a bit difficult, especially with those having smaller spaces and more people co-living, However properly structuring your day and getting yourself into a routine can help organize your time better and lead to more productivity. Define your working hours and family hours properly and make it a point to leave work at work, it could be tempting to follow up with your emails after work hours and once in a while its fine as well but try to maintain the distance between work and life.

4. Communicate regularly
Be it with your friends, family or your colleagues at the office, talk to them regularly and keep updated on their health and well being. In these times we need to look after those who are close to us and also not lose share of the importance of work in our lives. Keep in touch with your company’s team and try to get to common grounds with your colleagues regarding the tasks that need to be accomplished while working remotely. Understand that each person has their own set of obligations & responsibilities, some are keeping well while others aren’t and these are not normal circumstances so maybe your colleague might not be able to complete his share of task due to them,try and lend him a helping hand & focus towards your common goals

5. Eat right and Exercise regularly:
Exercise can decrease your stress level, anxiety and help overcome fears. Maintaining proper diet will furthermore ensure that you stay healthy. Follow government guidelines on how to avoid this disease, it is for your own good. Maintaining proper diet and regular exercise can help you stay focused, motivated and positive

6. Read Books and Increase your skills:
While this lock down has caused a lot of fear and anxiety among’st us all, at the same time it has also given us a chance to reflect upon ourselves, improve ourselves and overcome our shortcomings. This is the best time to gain knowledge, learn things and develop skills. Thanks to digital media there is no shortage of things to learn and ways to learn things. Make it a point to develop yourself on a daily basis,dedicate at least an hour of your day towards self-improvement. A Japanese word Kaizen which means “Continuous development” adapted vastly throughout the world by millions of people is a way of life which encourages to improve ourselves continuously. Try to make it a part of your life too

7. Have some “Me-Time”
Me time is ‘Spending time on oneself” It is important for a person to spend time on himself , it boosts creativity,well being and health, it also keeps stress levels in check.While it might be difficult to find some me time due to to endless family and work obligations, however taking an hour or two for yourself is required. Taking time out for yourself is a luxury as well as a necessity