These are certainly strange and scary times. The coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting over 200 countries. In the U.S., there have been 1.6 million cases and nearly 100,000 fatalities as a result. Since this virus spreads so rapidly, entire cities are on essentially on lockdown. Virtually everyone aside from essential workers are spending all their time quarantined inside their homes.

Isolation and quarantine are important for slowing the spread of this virus and staying safe. Unfortunately, even if you’re staying physically healthy inside your home, it’s difficult to manage your mental health. Life is stressful in general but when you add a global pandemic and self-isolation, things can get pretty tricky. Here are some things that you can do that can help you manage your mental health during these wild times:

Clean up everything

Cleaning isn’t exactly the most fun activity to do while under quarantine, but it can be quite therapeutic. Cleaning has actually been found to have positive effects on mental health and can help you gain a sense of control over your environment. Additionally, cleaning up your home can even boost your overall mood and give you a strong sense of satisfaction.

It’s already been a few weeks into quarantine and it doesn’t seem like everything is going to go back to normal any time soon. So you might as well stock up on cleaning supplies the next time you head to the grocery store, toss on a pair of gloves, and clean up everything inch of your home. It’ll be tough to get started but once you do, you won’t regret it!

Get active

We all know staying physically active is great for your physical health, but it’s an excellent practice for boosting your mental wellness, as well. Engaging in just 10 minutes of physical activity every day can help you improve mobility and live longer. Learn more about how exercise and a healthier lifestyle can benefit mental health conditions such as depression in this article from BetterHelp. 

Limit Your Stress

Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. But it’s important to not only limit additional stressors but know how to identify what you are feeling. During these uncertain times, people may feel:

• Concern about effectively caring for yourself or your family.
• Anxiety or fear related to your own health, your family’s health, financial stress, or the challenge of securing things you need like personal care items and groceries.
• Unhealthy desires to use alcohol or other medications to cope.
• Symptoms of depression, such as feelings of hopelessness, changes in appetite, or poor sleep patterns.
• Loneliness associated with feeling cut off from loved ones and from the rest of the world.
• Ambivalence about the entire situation.
• Frustration because you may not be able to work or leave your home or engage in regular day-to-day activities.

Avoid too much medication

We’ve already talked about the stresses involved with a global pandemic, which is why it’s crucial to take care of your mental health to the best of your ability. On some days, you might feel extra anxious or stressed. But it’s imperative that you do not abuse medication because that can lead to all sorts of additional issues.

Especially if you’re pregnant while quarantining! In fact, certain prescription medications have been linked with serious infant health risks if taken while pregnant or breastfeeding. For instance, according to the FDA, at least 25% to 35% of all pregnant women who take Accutane will give birth to an infant with birth defects.

Start planning your next relaxing getaway

Getting outside and breathing in some fresh air in your backyard can feel great during this pandemic, but since you can’t exactly go anywhere else, it might be fun to start planning a few relaxing getaways down the line. Don’t plan anything for the next few months, however, because we don’t know when things will return to normal. Roughly 95% of all Americans live within an hour’s drive of a navigable body of water — so it might be nice to think about taking the boat out or spending a few hours at the beach in the (hopefully near) future.

Planning a family vacation, a weekend getaway, or even a simple nature walk can be a lot of fun and it’ll give you something to look forward to.

Whatever you decide to do to relax, make sure you keep reiterating to yourself that all this craziness will pass. Hopefully sooner than later. But we will get through this and hopefully come out even stronger. Good luck and stay safe out there!