While the gym is closed, and a lot of us are worried about losing some of our hard work; there is an even more important aspect we want you to focus on this week. Your mental health may not be the highest on your priority list in a normal setting. You may be a relatively happy and outgoing person in your day to day life. But as we’ve all realized very abruptly, life isn’t our usual day to day right now. Many of us are completely off any routine we had, we aren’t working, we’ve got our kids at home 24/7, we can’t do a large amount of the activities we enjoy. While for a few days you can binge some shows you meant to catch up on and feel like everything is fine, eventually this can wear on your psyche. Please don’t neglect your mental health during this season of change.
Get. Outside. We cannot stress that enough. Yes, your options may be a bit more limited than before; but you can still go in the yard and chase the kids, try to do handstand walks, or work on your garden. Seasonal Depression is on the tail end, but the Vitamin D from the sun is always ideal.
Connect with family and friends. Not seeing them in person can be upsetting. But the internet has made it so easy to keep in touch. Set up a time every day to FaceTime a parent or friend. There are games like Cards Against Humanity that are offering online multiplayer games so you can laugh with your friends. The game Heads Up is easy to play while separated.
Give yourself some grace. For those with kids, there is a reason in normal life that people either work full time while their kids are at school, or they stay home with their children. Trying to be a teacher, a parent, and a full time employee all at once is literally impossible. We aren’t built for that. Be calm. Try to set a schedule and be sure to include time to decompress.
Move. There are so many creative ways you can workout. Jugs of laundry detergent can be great for one arm dumbbell snatches. You can do handstands against your walls outdoors. And as much as you may not want to hear it, burpees require zero equipment.
Try not to spend hours on social media. While you need to be informed, there is a lot of doom and gloom currently saturating your newsfeed. Don’t let it take over your every thought.
Try new things. If you are currently not working due to the quarantine, try to pick up something new you’ve always wanted to. Read a book you’ve been eyeballing for months and didn’t have the time for. Cook a new meal that always seemed like it would take entirely too long after a workday.
Reach out to your friends, family, and CFSS family if you need to talk. There are likely 5-10 people in your inner circle having the same worries and thoughts as you. Find a sounding board instead of keeping it all cooped up.
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