During this strange period of time we are all trying to deal with things that most of us have had to deal with before.
Financial uncertainty, the health of ourselves and our loved ones and being restricted in what we can do day to day are common experiences during this time. For most of us to some degree, it is taking a toll on our mental health.
In this article, we’ll share some strategies that can help you manage and improve your mental health throughout this time.
Contact with Loved Ones
Staying in contact with your friends and family can be one of the most useful things to do for your mental health.
Whether that be something as simple as a text message, phone call or video call, it will be greatly beneficial for yourself and your loved ones.
We are social creatures, and for most of us, regular connection and contact is a vital part of staying healthy.
If you are in good health, it is still alright to catch up with your loved ones if you are safely following the social distancing guidelines stated by the Australian government.
While kisses, hugs and sharing a meal may be out, a short visit with distance maintained would be adhering to social distancing policy.
Talking to Someone
Talking to someone is one of the most powerful things to do to help manage your mental health.
How often have you noticed that when you’ve asked a question or expressed a worry in a group of people, many others are sharing the same thoughts or concerns?
Right now that’s probably even more that case. So you may not be surprised that those you talk to are experiencing a similar range of feelings, doubts and stresses as you are.
It can be as simple as a quick debrief of your day/week with a loved one, or even talking to a professional about what is going on.
Psychology and counselling services are still accessible, as they are being encouraged to stay open throughout this time, majority will be accessible via telehealth or by phone call if needed.
Don’t be afraid to talk to your chiropractor or exercise physiologist during your session at Canberra Spine Centre.
While counselling and psychology or not our expertise, we are human beings, and can relate. As practitioners, we may also be able to share some of our experience and strategies with you that may be of help.
Keeping Active
Staying active through exercise can be an extremely helpful strategy to manage your mental health.
With many things out of your control during this time, your exercise levels are something you can control and empower yourself with.
Regular exercise has been shown to have an effect on a number of factors that contribute to mental health including improved sleep, reduction in anxiety, stress management and improved mood.
Although the types and ways you can exercise are restricted at this time, there are always ways to stay active such as exercising outside while adhering to social distancing rules, and home exercise programs for resistance training.
Seeing an Exercise Physiologist is a great way to learn effective ways to exercise during this time and can be done via telehealth if needed.
While this unusual time may be taking a toll on your mental health, empowering yourself with these simple strategies may be beneficial in managing your mental health.
Staying in contact with your loved ones, talking to someone and keeping active are all very useful tools to help manage your mental health throughout this time.
If you have further questions or troubles remaining active throughout this time or need resources for someone to talk to, please call us on (02) 6257 9400.
If you would like some more information about other aspects of your health and how they can be improved, please check out the other articles on our Facebook page or go to our website: www.spinecentre.com.au.
Also, make sure you read the other interesting articles we post on exercise this month.