Life isn’t always about making things easy. It’s not always about laughter and rainbows but also downfalls and sorrows. These emotions make everyone feel human.

Sad emotions are most of the time uncontrollable; they can put us at our downest moments and that’s fine. It’s okay to feel low and lonely at times. 

Many studies show that difficult situations can cause a huge amount of stress. As the world continues to fight against the pandemic, lockdowns are unstoppably being imposed here and there.

Despite the lockdown and its consequences, you must make every effort to keep a sane mind and a positive outlook. Life goes on. Seize your everyday life by being directed towards the best version of yourself. You know all your needs very well, including the things that make you happy, inspired, and motivated. Chase them—don’t be restrained.

Don’t forget there’s always something to look forward to each day! That being said, below are the eight tips to help you improve your wellbeing during a lockdown:

1. Stay Positive

Today, being positive means two things: positive for COVID-19 or positive in life. May heaven forbid that you become positive for that vicious coronavirus!

Staying positive in any situation works all the time. How can you stay positive? Trying to view things in an optimistic way and focusing on the good side of things can always give you a sense of tranquility. Turning your negative thoughts into positive ones is an even better shot at improving your wellbeing. Whining about the uncontrollable things won’t help at all.

Recalibrate your thoughts and put the whining aside. Instead, think of something that will keep your mental state in tune. You can do things that are guaranteed to uplift your mood, such as ordering your favorite pizza online to satiate your cravings. You may organize a pop quiz for your family at home. You can also reminisce about some old and funny memories to give you a good laugh.

Remember, you are always in control of your mind.

2. Be Altruistic

One of the best ways to take care of yourself is to give empathy to others rather than show apathy.

It may somehow be opposite to the idea of self-love. Yet, reaching out to help others creates a big impact not only on others’ lives but on your personal wellbeing as well. You’d feel great and fulfilled as you help those in dire need.

Several organizations are working tirelessly with great efforts to help families and individuals who are severely affected by the pandemic and natural calamities. These organizations need more volunteers to aid them in reaching out further. You can join the cause by becoming a virtual volunteer while keeping yourself safe inside your home. Donating and giving what you have are some ways to help the victims and casualties. Being involved in certain advocacies can go a long way too. Volunteering, albeit online, creates positive impacts on your mental, and emotional health as well.

3. Open Up Your Thoughts To Others

Life becomes harder when you worry all the time. Overthinking only make you anxious and could lead you to depression.

Reach out to your family or trusted friends and talk about what worries or bothers you in this season. This simple gesture can ease your anxiety. It releases negative thoughts while allowing you to acquire good advice from them.

Knowing what’s right and wrong and being vocal about it is also a good sign of sanity. It’s a sign that you’re staying sane amidst the isolation. Meanwhile, giving encouragement and reassurance to others can be equally fulfilling. It enables you not only to help a friend or a family member but also get that good conversation you’ve long been needing as well.

Isolation, especially during a lockdown, is overwhelming; it can cause stress and anxiety. To help you keep a sound mind while stuck at home, you can read this post here and discover some destressing techniques that you can use whenever you’re overwhelmed.

We might be fighting different battles but reaching out to your loved ones when things get rough defeats and sends your demons away.

4. Spend Some Me-Time

All the given tips here are helpful, but this one is the most satisfying.

Allocating a portion of your time to yourself detoxifies your mind and helps you understand your thoughts and feelings well. There’s a plethora of ways to spend time alone. You can do some meditation while listening to music, do yoga, read books, exercise, visit your favorite coffee shop—and the list goes on.

If you want to feel good by doing a thorough skincare routine, go on and do it. Having some cravings for your favorite food? Go and indulge in them. You can pamper yourself. If it uplifts your spirit, go easy but don’t deprive yourself of it.

Think about happy thoughts. You can grab a book from your favorite author and feed your mind with good reads. Catch up on the episodes of your favorite TV series and binge-watch. Spend your me-time cozying up in your bed while having a good cup of coffee. Exercise because sweating makes you feel good. Self-care is the best gift you can ever give to yourself.

5. Eat Healthy Food

Maintaining good health is fundamental to your wellbeing.

During these times, it’s best to boost your immune system and stay healthy. The great road to staying healthy is eating nutritious food. It’s okay to enjoy your food cravings but be sure to do it moderately as it’s necessary to stick to a routine of eating healthy, balanced food. 

You cannot stay long outside so, when shopping for grocery items, make sure to buy enough vegetables, cereals, eggs, seafood, meat, milk, and the like, which can last for weeks. You can store as much healthy food at home.

Preparing meals by yourself is a healthier option than ordering food in a fast-food restaurant. As it unleashes the inner chef in you, you’re also able to include nutritious ingredients into your food.

6. Get Physically Fit

To release the toxins inside your body, exercise is the key. These toxins have negative effects on your mental health and overall wellbeing; hence, the need to release them.

When lockdowns were imposed, getting physically fit became more important, because the need to strengthen your immune system is now made stronger than ever before. However, gyms and sports centers are closed to avoid contact with other people. 

As an alternative, look for an area inside your home where you can set up a makeshift gym for your workouts. You can also opt to do exercises in your backyard, such as stretching, jumping jacks, and other outdoor workouts.

Exercise enhances your immune system, helping your body to fight any kind of virus. Working out also releases happy hormones that are good for your well-being. 

It’s a win-win to have a healthy mind and a healthy body!

7. Minimize Exposure To Social Media and The News

News spread like wildfire. There’s also a lot of debacles going on in social media nowadays.

It’s okay to know about the latest news updates and take inspiration from your favorite celebrities and influencers on social media platforms. However, both social media and the news are saturated with negative things that can possibly trigger your mental state.

Fake news is everywhere and it’s difficult to pinpoint which news on media and the internet is authentic and isn’t. Fake news and social media toxicity cause anxiety and unwanted emotions.

Staying away from social media and minimizing your exposure to news can allow your mind to focus on the good things. It’s good to keep yourself from the negative vibes they might bring.

8. Maintain An Active Mind

Maintaining an active mind is an opportunity for you to learn a thing or two.

Revisit old activities you used to do during the good ol’ days, such as playing cards, doing jigsaw puzzles, painting, writing, or craft-making. Moreover, you can also sharpen your brain with some sudokus, word search, crossword puzzles, or trivial pursuits. It keeps you from overthinking and worrying.

This could also be the best time to learn a foreign language and some new technical skills. Who knows? You might become fluent in Mandarin or Spanish.

These acquired new skills can be added to your resume, too. They can be valuable to your career pursuit or applicable to your current job. As you become more skillful, you’ll also be able to manage your anxiety even better.

You Matter

Lockdown isn’t always bad at all. Look on the brighter side! It enables you to do things that you haven’t done before. 

You might have gotten so used to doing things outside, but discovering brand new things and revisiting some forgotten activities will make your wellbeing healthier, more secure, as well as safe and sound.