By Cheryne Fourdrigniez
Are you finding yourself washing your hands every 15 minutes until the surface of your hands turn red and sore? Well… don’t freak out, because you’re not the only one! Anxiety levels are high for everyone but learning to stay calm in a time of panic is important if we want to say goodbye to the virus.
Here are 5 tips you can follow if you want to stay emotionally up to scratch…
- Eat a balanced diet
It’s all about feeling good about yourself. Feeding your body with good, nutritious food will not only boost your immune system, a vitamin-rich diet with lots of proteins and minerals will nourish the brain and protect it from stress.
If you still want to go that extra mile, we recommend peeling up a whole garlic clove and swallowing it down with some water every morning. Endless studies have shown that garlic can prevent infections thanks to its antimicrobial properties, amongst many others… That doesn’t mean it will stop you from catching coronavirus, but it may help you fight it better.
Watch this video if you want to find out more about the powers of garlic:
2. Reduce social media exposure
With so much time to spare, it’s easy to get lost on the internet. You might be scrolling through endless articles or maybe even obsessing about every bit of news you can get regarding the coronavirus. If you can relate to this, you aren’t doing yourself a favour.
Take some time off – away from the news and replace your phone with a book in your hands.
3. Get some fresh air
A walk a day keeps the doctor away! If you are self-isolating, sooner or later you will start to feel claustrophobic – not only physically but also mentally. Well, that’s because believe it or not, your brain isn’t getting the oxygen it needs. Take a walk in the park and breathe in the fresh air – and get a dose of that much-needed vitamin D (which by the way also improves your immune system and brain function!)
4. Meditation
If you are feeling down or anxious, take 5-10 minutes and give yourself a bit of “me time”. With so many meditation apps and resources out there, there’s no excuse when it comes to your emotional health. Meditation is a tried and tested technique that will surely push all the stress away. Salma Filali, student at Regent’s University, 19 says: “Ever since I started meditating, I’ve become obsessed, I don’t think I’ve ever gone more than a week without it, it really does help you stay calm.”
So… light up some candles, put some calming music on and get meditating! Come on, chop chop!
5. Keep yourself busy
Keep your mind distracted from all the stress and anxiety by doing things around the house that you never got around to doing. Clean your apartment, organise your closet, or declutter your pantry. These are all positive activities that will feed your brain with endorphins. Who doesn’t want that?
Florian Achim, waiter at CO&KO, 36 says: “There are so many ways people like to keep themselves busy but I would definitely recommend exercise. It does so much good to your mind and body.”
In a time of global panic, fear and uncertainty, staying mentally healthy is just as important as staying physically healthy. But always remember that you are not alone.
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