How to Stay Mentally Well This Winter

Can we make it through another pandemic winter and come out on the other side without feeling like we are going crazy? Let’s try.

We can start with these quick 10 yes/no questions to see where you are in terms of wellness today.?

Although “Are you happy?” is not a good question to ask (try these questions instead), we can talk about feeling a little happier, a bit more sane, and more at peace.

Whether or not we appear to be fine, each of us is fighting our own battle. Some are overworked, others are under-employed; some are parented-out while others wish they had kids around; some long for a connection, others – for privacy; some are hungry, while others have everything they need, but many don’t feel the way they want to feel.

What makes you feel better these days? What gives you energy? What helps you get up in the morning and get through the day?

Here are some ideas to experiment with, when it feels possible:

1. Basic self-care. (Do what you can, don't despair if it does not all happen each day, and try again the following day.)

• Prioritize sleep (both quantity and quality) over everything else whenever possible.
• Have at least one meal per day that is healthy for you, if you can.
• Go outside during daylight to see the sun, even if just for a few minutes.
• Do some physical activity: put on a timer to do a plank for 30 seconds, do a wall sit or a stretch, have a 5-minute dance party, see how many pushups you can do. Get dressed, and go for a short walk outside, if possible.

2. Talk to yourself kindly. Please, don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to someone you deeply care about.?Catch yourself when you can, and switch to kinder words.

3. Reach out to offer something. While it may be difficult to ask for help, it may be easier to offer help, and it will make you feel better. Send a “thinking of you” card, share a good story or a movie recommendation, offer to listen, to compile a playlist, to run an errand – whatever works for you.

4.?Add variety into your daily life for all of your senses.

• Add more spices and colors to your food
• Put on different types of music (music will take you through different moods; it is like a workout for the soul)
• Put up pictures of people and places that make you smile
• Change the set-up of your home office, kitchen, or bedroom to reduce an autopilot

5. Think what makes you interesting to yourself.

• Would you feel interesting to yourself if you start writing?
• What about learning a language? (Software is often available for free in local libraries.)
• Listen to podcasts on new topics that interest you (this is great for when you get stuck with monotonous jobs around the house)
• Try 5-minute meditation just to see what all the hype is about

6. Bring yourself to a park, to a lake, a river, a forest, mountains… Just get there, and lend yourself to nature; nature will know what to do with you.

7. Start a running list of your wins and successes. Some days, brushing your teeth may feel like a win. Other days, you may save someone’s life, or finish a project important to you.

These ideas may sound like they are addressing “first world problems”. But regardless of one’s situation, experiences of sadness, disconnection, being both overwhelmed and under-stimulated, feel real. Let’s check up on each other once in a while, ok?

What is keeping you sane during this pandemic so far? Tell me ( [email protected] ) .

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About the Author: Alina Bas is a New York based executive coach with over 20 years of experience in leadership development.?She is also a PhD candidate researching strategies that analytically educated professionals use to advance in uncertainty. https://AlinaBas.com/Get-Started