It’s known that quarantine has been and remains a stressful event globally. The longer quarantine endures, the bigger the spike in mental health issues grows.

Everybody reacts to impacting events such as this differently, but the pandemic has been a large factor in so many people’s mental health. 

That being said, if you are struggling, know that you are not alone. Dealing with mental health issues alongside the stressors that daily life already entails can almost seem like too much to bear.

It’s important that you prioritize self-care and your mental health during these difficult times.

Not dealing with your mental health,  ignoring your struggles, or even denying them can lead to an even larger decline and create more lasting effects.

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Combating loneliness While Quarantined

One of the most commonly shared emotions by people experiencing mental health issues during quarantine is loneliness.

Because quarantine and isolation is meant to keep you out of reach to others, It’s important to stay in touch with your friends and family. The virtual aspect of modern-day living makes this easier than it’s ever been, and you should take advantage of that!

Making group chats, face timing, or playing online games together are some of the few ways you can make sure to keep in touch with your loved ones. It’s hard to not be able to see them as often as you had before, but it’s important to know the risks and to stay inside to avoid the spread. 

You Are Not Alone.

Maintaining a Routine During Quarantine

Another side effect of quarantine is the lack of routine that has arisen due to the uncertainty of these times. Some have experienced major shifts in their normal schedules, or have had theirs completely uprooted.

If you’re someone who needs a routine in your life to feel like you’re thriving, then it’s important to have one established. 

Quarantine has been prolonged far beyond what anyone expected, and it’s really thrown a kink in everyday life. You may not be in school or going to work with a set schedule daily, but you can make one for yourself to provide more stability.

 Routines are known to help manage anxiety because there’s much comfort to be found in consistency.

It’s important to have clear boundaries and distinctions between work, school, and free time regardless of what situation the world is in at the time. Having no routine can leave you without directions and full of distractions. 

Dealing With Down Time and Mental Health Issues

A big thing about quarantine is that there is so much time. Time to sit and think can leave you with thoughts you’ve never had the time to contemplate before.

Knowing your triggers and identifying the issues with your mental health is arguably the most important part of coping with them. Finding out the root of your struggles is the biggest step in mitigating them.

There is an abundance of ways to track your emotions, but one of the easiest and most common ways is journaling. 

Journaling is completely customizable. You can start out with fancy pens and keep a bullet journal or you can keep it simple and just write down your thoughts and feelings.

This can be done physically on paper or in a notebook, or digitally with the notes app on your phone or in a google document.

Writing down why you’re upset in the moment, including what happened beforehand, can help you identify a trigger and hopefully try to avoid it in the future.

Know and Address Your Triggers

Knowing your triggers opens the realm of healing for you personally. For instance, maybe your trigger is an audible one. Someone yelling makes you very anxious, and that sends you into a spiral.

To avoid this trigger, your best resource would be to vocalize to those close around you how yelling makes you feel, even when it’s not emotionally charged towards you.

If your roommates get excited and loud when they’re playing video games, that can still be triggering!

Once you’ve had that conversation and come to a resolution, you’re way more likely to be less anxious. Being triggered while having mental health issues can make your mindset worse and your emotions more negative.

For a lot of people, quarantine or isolation are their triggers. And to deal with triggers that we can’t necessarily resolve right away, it’s best to turn to healthy coping mechanisms.

Staying Active During Quarantine

Keeping active during quarantine is one of the best ways to combat mental and physical health issues.

Being excessively inactive cannot only be bad for your physical health but can also be bad for your mental health. Exercising releases endorphins that help your brain and body feel more positive. 

For some people dealing with mental health issues, the last thing you feel like doing is getting out of bed and attempting to be active. But being active doesn’t always mean running 6 miles a day.

Sometimes just taking a short walk or doing a few minutes of yoga every morning can be a big help for improving your mental and physical health. 

Now is your time to try all of those at-home workout routines you’ve never had the time to try out before!

In addition to exercise, other coping mechanisms could be drawing, painting, singing, reading, writing, or anything that makes you feel calm, comfortable, and happy. 

Seek Professional Help

Sometimes, reaching out and getting professional help can be a crucial part in handling your mental health issues.

Reaching out for a therapist can sometimes be a struggle because you feel as if you shouldn’t need it. However, therapy can offer you personal aid in ways that many internet articles won’t be able to do. 

Of course, therapy isn’t for everybody, but for a majority of people, even one session can be life-changing.

Therapists can help you identify triggers more easily, give you personalized coping methods, help you identify your support system, and even bring things you don’t realize to your attention.

At first, talking to a therapist can be scary and it can be hard to open up to someone. However, working with a therapist can be an important outlet for many people struggling with mental health issues. 

You Are Not Alone

If there’s only one thing you take from this, let it be that you are not alone. This is a scary and overwhelming time for more people than you even realize.

Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help if you need it! 

What’s your go-to quarantine coping mechanism?