Quarantine 2020: A Mental Health Nightmare

^^^That title though. Who’s with me?!

Whether you struggle with depression, anxiety, or one of the many other mental health conditions out there, this isolation most likely has not been good to you. I’m with you! We’re all with you!

I’ve suffered from depression for many, many years. Like a roller coaster, it’s been a wild ride for sure! I’d be lying to you if I said I have been completely okay since this isolation started. I am not okay. And, guess what?

It is okay to not be okay.

It’s always so important with your mental health to hit that first step.

Acceptance.

• Until you truly accept that there’s a problem, you won’t be able to move back to feeling more like yourself again.

So, say it with me, seriously do it. IT IS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY.

Now that we’ve accepted that, let’s move forward.

Let’s talk about Social Media. It really can make all of this so much worse, can’t it? We are saturated with more content than ever right now and we are legit not supposed to leave our house. So, now, more than ever before, it is so important to remember that most people will only show you the best versions of themselves online. It can turn you to internally judging yourself, thinking you’re not good enough, or maybe to feel lost and out of control.

Well, in my opinion, it’s because we’re not really supposed to be absorbing this much content in our lives! However, in Quarantine 2020, what else can we do?! ⬅ This was my thinking for the last month. Well these are the cards I’ve been dealt, so what else can I do?

My mindset was all wonky, my plans had been uprooted, and the normalcy of my life disrupted. I was on a growth track in my life and was feeling better than ever before! I had a workout/gym schedule that I stuck to, a creative outlet to share with all of you beautiful people, and ultimately I was just happy. Now, I’m not saying I’m not happy, but it has been a struggle to find motivation and purpose while in a pandemic.

Remember earlier when I said, we’re all with you? Well, I meant it. Even though you may feel alone right now, and we are all secluded to our homes, you are not alone. There are many people surrounding you feeling the same exact way, all you have to do is reach out. That brings me to my second step.

Talk to your friends!

• Sometimes we like to hide away our feelings, but now when we have nothing else going on, please don’t do that. Reach out to your people! Make sure they’re okay. Build your community and lift everyone up.

I cannot tell you how thankful I am for my friends. Truly, I have been blessed with some of the most amazing people in my life and I will be forever grateful for them. When I first started noticing the dip in my moods and motivation, I went straight to my people. I told them what was going on and they were nothing but supportive.

If you read my blog post on depression, you know I struggled with it for a long time and that it hit its peak after my sexual assault. Even though I am in such a better place now and many years have gone by, I still have a hard time when the month of my assault rolls around. No matter how much progress I have made, that day still haunts me.

Before this pandemic, I hadn’t shared the timing of when it happened to anyone other than my therapist and family. But, when this isolation rolled around, I felt alone in my thoughts and I had a lot more time to think. Unfortunately, the pandemic and the month of my sexual assault fall right in place with each other! What luck?!

So, to make sure I didn’t fall deeper into depression, I decided to share with my core group of people my current internal struggle. I let them know that I’m not totally okay… that I’m mentally drained and feeling down… that the day of my assault passed recently… You name it, I said it. My motivation was at an all-time low, and I felt alone in my thoughts.

The outreach back was, insert dramatic pause, amazing. I felt myself being uplifted from this darkness I had surrounding me. Give the people you’ve surrounded yourself with some credit, you put them there for a reason, right?

Many mental health conditions make us feel alone and in a time like this, even more people are struggling. Don’t let this control you. Find ways to bring yourself out of the darkness. But, if you do need a day to just cry it out, do it! But, don’t forget to pick yourself up and move toward being a better you. And, if you don’t think you can do it on your own, don’t be afraid to reach out for therapy or to your people who love you most.

If you’re not totally sure where to start or how to start picking yourself up during this pandemic, take a look at the below. I’ve found the below things to be very helpful in my current state of mind and I hope you can benefit from it too. We’re all in this together! I love all you beautiful people!

1. Limit your Social Media / News Intake

• I’m not saying to abandon it all together, but if you do feel like you could benefit from doing that, then go for it! I’m just saying that we could all use a much-needed break from the constant content we are absorbing as of late. Social Media can be exhausting and in regard to the news, I don’t know about you, but if I watch it for too long, I feel like my head is going to explode and I’ll never go outside again. So, to avoid that, I’ve been limiting my exposure to both outlets.

2. Create an At-Home Gym Schedule and stay consistent with it

• I was regularly going to the gym prior to this pandemic, so this one hit me hard. Even though I knew I could do some adjustments and do my workouts perfectly fine at home, I lacked focus and motivation. Get yourself some bomb resistance bands (booty bands!) and some weights! There are so many online tools to help you with getting a good at-home workout. The real struggle comes from within and the lack of desire to make the adjustments. So, get out there and google, I promise you there’s lots of free resources out there.

3. Get out and take a walk

• Prior to these crazy times, I rarely took a walk around my neighborhood. What a shame! Our world is so beautiful and sometimes a nice view of our world can help clear our minds. Don’t forget we’re in a pandemic though and still make sure to keep a safe distance from your fellow neighbors.

4. Find a new hobby or learn a new skill

• For me, I became a plant mom. I previously thought I would never be able to keep a plant alive and therefore, never bought one. How silly! With the help of some friends, I’ve bought myself a little family of plants and have actually really enjoyed watching them grow. I love it and highly recommend it!

5. Cook a new meal or bake some bread

• I love cooking and baking, but I used to feel I could never find the time. Well, now, I have all the time and there’s no room for excuses! It’s been fun to make some new things in the kitchen.

6. Go on a drive

• I know there’s nothing really open right now and the options of getting out are minimal, but if you just feel like you can’t take it anymore, go for a drive. Clear your head!

7. Plan a Virtual Happy Hour

• I’ve seen many people doing Virtual Happy Hours and some of you may be tired of them at this point, but I’ve really enjoyed reconnecting with my friends on FaceTime or Zoom.

8. Reach out to an old friend and reconnect

• I’ve talked to more friends than I can count during this pandemic and it’s been really nice to reconnect.

9. Take a break and play a game!

• Yes, I bought a Nintendo Switch during this pandemic and yes, I play Animal Crossing and Pokemon. I've found that playing my switch or a board game with my family has helped me get out of my head.

I hope that this post has helped you in some way. Remember you are not alone and there are so many people who love you.

Until Next Time,

Jessie

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