We're now six months into COVID-19 land. Perhaps you struggled a lot at the beginning and have now adjusted to the state of things. But if you're struggling more and more as things go on, you're not alone.
What I've noticed is that, for people with relatively good mental health, about six months is how long you might be able to neglect your needs until things start breaking down. Many people have found it challenging to get back into their own healthy rhythms while things still seem uncertain. Perhaps you're working from home, and it's been hard to separate work from your free time. Perhaps you struggle to exercise when you can't attend your favorite yoga class. Perhaps you're struggling to sleep without your usual activities to tire you out. Perhaps you have been spending most days in your PJs at home, making one day blur into the next.
These factors, combined with possible increases to stress and uncertainty (layoffs - fear of evictions - a looming election), are a recipe for slowly declining mental health.
I came across a video recently that is the best summation of basic self care for mental health that I've ever seen - a review of how to keep all of your systems running to survive for the long haul in these wild times. It's worth checking out as a review of what might take a therapist several sessions to explain.
If, after watching this, your thought is "I wish I could do that, but it sounds way too hard," that's probably your sign to seek out a therapist to help you get started.
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