Do you often feel anxious or depressed? If yes, you need to know that you’re not alone. 2020 was an anxiety-filled year. The idea that life and the world can change in a very short time has never been more real.
And even though the lockdowns have been lifted in parts of the world –partial or full– the reality is that most people have become increasingly fretful. However, you can choose to be strong and not yield to the pressures of these events.
But if you’ve succumbed, there’s no shame in that. If anything it proves that you’re human. The good news is you can reinvent yourself, strengthen your mind and gain that mental fortitude that you need to take on the world.
The following simple tips can help do just that.
Understand You’re Not Alone
Simply realizing this can be very liberating. Many people who struggle with an overwhelmed mental state often assume that no one else is going through something similar. That’s not true.
Everyone is dealing with something. Many people are currently dealing with grief, anxiety, depression, job loss, and much more. Assure yourself that there’s a purpose in all of this. Just getting into this state of mind alone, will do wonders for your mental state.
Guard Your Mind Fiercely
Yesterday was the best time to protect your mind. Now is the second-best time. Remember that what you constantly feed your mind gets amplified. You need to start feeding your mind with positive stimuli and inputs.
Stop watching the news and tracking the ills in the society. There’s always bad news anyway and there will always be something wrong in the society –there’s nothing you can do about that.
Instead, upgrade your mind by reading or listening to powerful books or podcasts, experience new and positive things, commit to helping someone every day –this forces you to think about others, participate in enjoyable activities. If you don’t have any, find one and do more of that. Also, laugh a lot –there’s a healthy stable of comedies on any streaming service these days.
Keep Away from Bad Lifestyle Habits
These include excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and doing drugs. Estimates show that almost 1 billion people across the globe suffer from some form of substance abuse or mental disorder.
Drugs, in particular, are dangerous because they mess with your body’s chemical composition. Therefore, you’re more likely to become addicted because of the temporary relief that they provide and make poor decisions because of them.
If you’re already hooked, drug rehab centers can help wean you off the stuff and get you back on track to living a healthy, normal life.
Final Thoughts
Remember that this is a process and it’ll take time. Doing one or more of these may not be easy, but it can be done. Just pick one and commit to that for 1 week, and see how you feel. Then, try the second tip for another week, and the third tip in the third week.
Repeat the cycle if necessary, but we’re pretty sure that 21 days of commitment to intentional improvements will change your perspective and aid your mental well-being.
