The pandemic hitting has resulted in a drastic change in our lives, whether we like it or not. It makes us feel more isolated and alone since we have to observe self-isolation and social distancing for our own health and safety. It’s taken its toll on our mental health as, the majority of the time, we’re adjusting to new challenges the pandemic has brought in our personal and professional lives.
While this is an unfortunate yet understandable occurrence, there are many healthy ways to cope with the stress brought by these changes. In the following, we’ll be listing down some of the ways to cope with stress during the pandemic effectively.
Engage in therapeutic activities
You can do so many things that are considered therapeutic, like working out, meditating, or journaling. People deal with their stress differently, and it’s all a matter of what works best for you. For some, they love using exercise or any form of physical activity as their therapy as it helps them have something to take out their stress on while also encouraging them not to overthink.
For some, it’s meditation as the simple act of breathing helps them regain control of their lives while letting go of their difficult thoughts and emotions. For others, it can even be video games, as this works as a powerful distraction alone in dealing with whatever stress you’re harboring onto. The bottom line is that whatever helps you feel lighter and let go of your worries and troubles, that’s the activity you should engage in to decompress and destress.
Manage your finances
During such uncertain times, our finances also play a major role in causing unwanted stress. Whether it’s issues related to your income, savings, or expenses, getting a better grip on your finances during this time is essential to ease your worries.
Developing the habit of being more conscious and aware of your spending and saving habits will help keep you on track and avoid any bumps along the road. There comes the point where you have to be financially wise and learn the difference between your wants and needs. Especially when the pandemic keeps throwing us all kinds of unexpected changes in our lives, having savings can be a great help towards managing them.
With great financial planning, expenses like loans for your home and daily necessities can be easily managed. Planning things out ahead of time helps avoid unwanted costs or budgeting concerns. Less financial worries mean you can focus on dealing with other significant changes to your daily life during the new normal.
Reduce using social media
Social media isn’t that bad. In fact, there are both significant advantages and disadvantages to using it. However, individuals who constantly use social media are known to be more stressed and unhappy, according to research. This is because you’re exposing yourself to all kinds of information, especially pandemic-related news. It’s easy to feel stressed and overwhelmed when you’re updated with everything that keeps happening all around us. So while avoiding social medial altogether isn’t what you should do, you should at least reduce scrolling through your feed 24/7.
Also, another aspect that causes more stress when exposing yourself to social media is comparison. When you see that the way you’re living your life is different from that of others, it causes unnecessary stress in your life.
Stick to a routine
When the world feels out of control and life keeps hitting you with change after change, it’s vital to hold on to something you can rely on — something you can still control. This is where having a routine can be beneficial. When you create a routine that works for you, it keeps you grounded in everyday life. It doesn’t matter whether your routine consists of the most ordinary tasks. What matters is that your routine helps you deal with stress and gives you even just a bit of control over your life.
Socialize
When we’re overwhelmed with isolation and solitude, it’s easy to feel stressed. We think that we’re alone and that nobody loves or understands us when it’s the exact opposite. When you feel this way, the only thing that can counter your stress is calling up a friend and catching up. Or, you can visit your family or meet new people through social media or dating apps. You have to let yourself connect with others and socialize, as that’s what you need to manage your stress levels.
These factors will help you cope with stress during the pandemic. It’s important to know that even as we’re met with unprecedented changes during this new normal, there are healthy ways to manage your stress better.
