By | Flor Leano
Everything was going smooth. The community where we live was safe, we were enjoying our jobs, we travelled anywhere we wanted until something came up and ushered us to a concept unfathomable in the modern age—isolation to the point that sun bathing and dining out just became IG memories. The paradox is that the stay-at-home orders we hate is the best means of survival. But aside from the dangers of the novel virus, Betty Pfefferbaum, M.D., J.D. and Carol S. North, M.D., M.P.E reveal that quarantined people are exposed to mental stress. They blame it all to the duration of the confinement, inadequate supplies, difficulty getting medical care, and financial losses. True… but is it really the end of it all?
Matthew Andrews in his book Happiness Now reminds us that we don’t find happiness in the absence of problems. Instead, we find happiness in spite of our problems. Happiness depends so much on your perspectives in life. Surely, the world doesn’t look the way it used to be. Nowadays, you can either be an optimist who sees the opportunity in every difficulty or a pessimist who sees the difficulty in every opportunity. Life will never be cool for pessimists. Nothing can satisfy them. In fact, psychiatrists see a strong connection between pessimism and depression.
Sail on and find your happiness amid fear and despair. Here are some practical tips you can easily do to think straight again and prepare for your big comeback.
Exercise regulary
Sweating it out through exercise is one of the easiest ways to brush off anxiety. Fray John Louis S. Ricamora, OSA a nurse by profession who also finished pastoral counselling at the Ateneo de Manila explains that our bodies are structured and designed to move, thus, to stay mentally healthy, one must do indoor exercises to have a good blood circulation for the brain and other body systems that help elevate your mood. In fact, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health proved that 15 minutes of exercise reduces risk of depression by 26%. When we exercise, the brain releases endorphin that can keep the spirits high and give one a light, happy feeling. So, move those lazy legs and kick the habit of worrying.
Prepare for your new career
Apple once fired Steve Jobs although he was one of the founders of the company. He described the experience as awful tasting medicine but he started all-over again and was able to put up Pixar that created Toy Story, the first computer animated film. You can also bounce back and start a new career. Don’t look back and feel sorry for losing your throne in the company you’ve loved even more than yourself. Dr. Yzah Rubaya, CPA an entrepreneur and book author recommends that you rediscover yourself by making a list of your strengths in the job that you lost and list other alternative work in other companies or industries. With the list of strengths, Dr. Rubaya says you will be amazed that there promising careers waiting for you that you never imagined before. And to succeed in your new career, she emphasizes that you should stop yourself from comparing it with the previous one you had and entirely commit yourself to your new job.
Pick what you eat
There’s a link between your diet and your state of mind. Processed meat, fried food, refined cereals, candies, pastries and high fat dairy products can make you more anxious and depressed. Eat folate and folic acid rich food that reduce anxiety and help you manage depression. You can find these nutrients in poultry, fish, milk, leafy green vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains. If you feel really down, eat bananas or pumpkin seeds which act as natural sedatives because they contain potassium that pumps serotonin known to regulate mood and social behaviour.
Help others
Fray John Louis S. Ricamora, OSA suggests that one should not just satisfy his physiologic needs these days and learn how to reach out while following stringent social distancing rules. If you help others, you are also amplifying your mental health. This can provide a sense of purpose, the lacking element in the lives of anxious and depressed people. When you see that you’re making the lives of others an inch better, you feel mentally stimulated, too. That’s why you feel good and desire to live a better life.
