How to boost your mental immunity
There’s a lot of talk right now about building up immunity to the coronavirus. That’s not in your control, but what you can do is build up is your mental immunity. During this stressful period, it’s important that you take time to focus on your emotional health. Here are a few things you can do to feel like your best self.
CREATE NEW MEMORIES FROM OLD ONES
Go through your old vacation photos and create an online album. It’ll bring back positive memories of a good trip as you work on it, and also when you look at it again in the future.
FINISH ALL YOUR TO-DOS AT HOME
We all have a running list of things we need to get done around the house, but just never want to do. While you likely don’t want to do them anymore than you did before you were stuck at home, try to work through just a few of them. It’ll be a good distraction and it’ll make you feel great when it’s done.
LEARN TO COOK SOMETHING NEW
Whether you’re a great cook or new to the kitchen, challenge yourself to cook something that’s outside your comfort zone. Worst-case scenario is that it doesn’t taste good. Best-case is that you have a new recipe to enjoy, one that’ll give you a feeling of accomplishment every time you make.
ORGANIZE A ZOOM EXPERIENCE WITH FRIENDS
This can be a class organized by a company or one you organize yourself. For example, now that you have a new recipe you know how to cook, send it to your friends so you can all plan on cooking it together one night over Zoom. While this isn’t the same as being together in person, it’s a really fun way to spend a few hours.
REGULATE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA USE
I know you’ve heard this before, but spending hours reading the news and comparing yourself to others will only create anxiety and stress you out. For every hour you spend scrolling on your phone, challenge yourself to spend an hour away from your phone doing something else—anything else.
These are just a few ideas of what you can do to work on your mental health immunity. The list of activities you might enjoy or will be productive is likely much longer. So what will you be working on?
Robin Maier is a licensed clinical social worker who uses a gentle therapeutic approach to guide women in every stage of life toward greater happiness
