I’ve always described mental illness like I am trapped inside a glass bubble and I can see the world whirring around me but I can’t get out, but now it feels like the world too is trapped inside a glass bubble with only nature and air as the only constant as the Covid 19/ Corona virus sweeps the globe.
Like most people, I have been on a real rollercoaster journey as the situation unfolds. But here is what I have learnt from years of managing mental health problems:
- Stay grounded / Be mindful: When your head is foggy and whirring with anxiety, depression or another mental health condition… just try your best to focus on something in that moment that you can appreciate whether it be the sound of people chatting, the plant growing outside or holding something in your hand.
- Find a positive coping mechanism: Find something that takes you away from your illness or pauses your thoughts even for a few moments. For me it is dancing but for you it could be singing or cooking or cleaning. Anything that shifts your focus from negative thoughts.
- Express yourself: As the saying goes “With every genius mind is a tincture of madness.” So get in your genius zone and create! Some of your best work may come out of this period. Now’s the time to be creative
- Get help/support: “No man (or woman) is an island.” We all need help and support in varying degrees. So reach out to someone you can trust. Surround yourself with people who boost you.
- Visualisation: Focus on something positive and really think about how you will think/feel/look when this happens. Another simple one I often do if I can’t think about the future is remember what my therapist says: “this wave will pass.” And that works for a lot of things. Whether it be addiction/addictive behaviours and getting the ‘urge’ or feeling really low and that things are impossible… the wave of those emotions may increase but they will subside. Even just yesterday I thought I may not survive the day, the week and definitely not this period of time in our weird world. But today is a new day and whilst I don’t feel totally better it really does feel a little more manageable. So just take one day at a time.
- And finally positive affirmations / quotes (read and say them out loud like you mean them and that you believe them!)…
The BEST Positive affirmations and quotes to keep you and friends going:
- YOU HAVEN’T COME THIS FAR JUST TO GO THIS FAR
- THIS WAVE WILL PASS
- YOU WERE PERFECT SINCE THE DAY YOU WERE BORN
- TODAY IS A NEW DAY
- THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE WITH YOU IN IT
- NO MAN / WOMAN IS AN ISLAND
- THIS WAVE WILL PASS
- I EMBRACE CHANGE
- YOU ARE SO LOVED
- THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE
- ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING WONDERFUL IS GOING TO HAPPEN
- YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU REALISE
- I AM ENOUGH