With the COVID-19 outbreak now a pandemic, the world has become chaotic. We are all experiencing something that has never happened before in human history. Countries are imposing coronavirus lockdowns, hospitals are nearly overwhelmed, schools and “non-essential” businesses are closed, people work from home, kids spend their spring break indoors and we are all trying to make sense of this unprecedented situation. Some people panic and self-isolate others aren’t worried at all and continue to carelessly go outside behaving as though life goes on as usual. But the world is different. Our daily lives have changed and there’s no point in pretending otherwise. Because while initial short-term denial can be actually a good thing, a complete rejection of reality will produce the exact opposite effect. Denial is a self-sabotaging behavior that prevents you from taking appropriate action and making conscious decisions, while acceptance of your current situation will not only help you gain mental clarity, but it will also help your mental health. However, it is worth remembering that “Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it.” You don’t have to like, want, choose, or support the situation you’re in, but you need to accept it to be able to think more rationally and make good decisions that will keep you heading in the direction in which you want to go. So take a deep breath, accept that you cannot control the coronavirus pandemic, embrace the chaos and focus on your mental health - one of those aspects of your life you CAN control. Strong mental health will help you to regain your mental focus, improve your life satisfaction, increase resilience and turn a negative situation into a positive one. And without further ado, here are 10 simple and powerful ways to build strong mental health during the coronavirus pandemic.
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