Cultivating mental health during COVID-19 and beyond
WRITTEN BY Hailey Lott / PHOTOGRAPHY Provided by Hailey Lott and shack15
If you’re anything like me you are very aware that May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I’m sure you’ve seen it on social media or maybe you’re thinking about mental health because you’re quarantined inside and meeting yourself in a different way than you ever have before.
But many others may be new to putting mental health first, and if that is you, I want to share some new, easy ways that you can take care of your mind in quarantine AND as we transition back into our new normal. I think we all need ALL of the support we can get!
Please remember this: our mental health literally determines our human experience. Your perspective, how you function, what you notice, the thoughts that exist in your mind… all determine your life experience. So when you are mentally unhealthy, life doesn’t look so great. Years ago when I was suffering through depression, I couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. I felt heavy, stuck and that was my life experience. Everything I saw was from that perspective.
Now I choose to see things very differently. I facilitate breathwork sessions, host women’s circles, holistically coach individuals to reach their peak performance and am obsessed with living at the top of my game. It wasn’t easy to get here AND it was worth all the work, practice, vulnerability, trying and failing and trying again because now my life looks like love.
Today, I’m sharing five practices that you can do now to take care of your mental wellness with the firm belief that whatever you are going through can and will shift if you give yourself the space to do so.
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1. Cleaning your space
When my space is cluttered, it feels like my mind is cluttered too. There is a lot of research that shows that we reflect the environments that we exist in most. And while you might not be able to control all things, I invite you to get curious about what you can shift. Personally I follow the KonMari method. Something about each item sparking joy just gets me. Marie Kondo has a fabulous book titled The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up that breaks down her organizing method and talks about the massive life choices people can make when they get rid of the clutter. Not only can you transform your space but you can also use cleaning/organizing as a time for you to bring more joy into your thoughts. When you're cleaning, notice where your mind naturally goes and play with what thoughts, mantras or affirmations you can bring into your space.
2. Assemble the squad
My second tip is to assemble the squad. Connect with your friends, arrange the virtual happy hour, do the Zoom breathwork class together, organize something where you can see each other because we’re all missing human connection. Human connection is a huge component of our mental health. We are social beings so find ways that you can responsibly make this work for you and your people. Remember when you assemble your squad it's your friends, it's your loved ones, family members AND it's also your therapist. If you don’t have one yet there are amazing resources online you can check out right here. There are online therapists that are offering amazing price points no matter what your budget is. Together, your friends, your therapists, your healers, teachers, and mentors will remind you that you aren’t alone in what you’re feeling.
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3. Intention
Do you do things with Intention? This concept has the potential to massively shift our lives, if we let it. It’s actually more simple than you think. To practice creating intention in your life, start with being fully present with whatever activity you are doing throughout your day. Anything from eating a meal, answering emails, walking your dog, or watching TV, throughout all of these things, think about what it would be like to be focused and purposeful with each task at hand. When you try this out, I think you’ll notice things become more simple, you will complete tasks faster, and you will feel so much better because you are allowing yourself to have the full experience with whatever it is that you are doing.
For example, your next workout could be 10 minutes long, and in that time, be intentional with it. Feel your body move. Notice your breath. Leave your phone in the other room. When you catch yourself getting distracted by a thought or sound, bring your focus back to your experience no matter how many times it takes. This is a lifelong practice, bringing your focus out of the future or the past so you can just be here now. When you let go of attachments to all these things and you simply exist in this moment it will feel so luxurious and peaceful that you will want to practice more and more. So do.
4. Finding your outlet
Now, more than ever, fear is at the forefront of our media and information we have access to. This has clear effects on our minds and bodies specifically on your Nervous System. You may have felt this intense energy or fear and experienced your own emotions heightened The great news is that we can learn to be our own healers. To do this, start to get curious about the outlets that let you release fear and find balance. It’s a great time to explore the wealth of virtual fitness, meditation and mindfulness offerings. Join SHACK15’s virtual events, attend one of my meditation classes, look at your local yoga studio’s online schedule and check out their new offerings. Take this time to ask friends what’s working for them. We get to do something different because we are existing in different times than we ever have before.
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5. Massive compassion
The last tip I will leave you with is to give yourself massive compassion. Massive compassion because we are navigating through a new and different way of living—a way of living that none of us have ever gone through before. So if you just take one thing with you, give yourself compassion during this time. Trust that you're doing enough. All you’re responsible for right now is protecting yourself, your family, your loved ones. That's all you need to do. You don't need to write the book. You don't need to do all the projects and cook all the new things and learn all the new hobbies. Practice giving yourself love. Maybe you're thinking, “What? I don't even know where to start” — perfect! You have the time now to learn what it feels like to love up on you.
A simple practice I like to do is to put one hand on my heart, one hand on my belly, feel my breath and imagine myself breathing in compassion, breathing in love as I take each breath in. And then, breathing out any self-doubt, any worry, any anxiety that I might be processing. And repeat until something shifts. Breathing in, imagining yourself, filling up your own cup because that's truly the only thing that we need to do right now, continue to give ourselves compassion with all of the emotions that are coming up.
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Remember, this is a time of uncertainty and we do not know what the future holds but, we get to accept this moment, be in this moment, enjoy this moment and feel into this moment. Give yourself compassion in this moment because this is the most important moment we have. In this moment our power exists. The only moment we can control is right now. So in this moment, give yourself a little more love.
If this lit you up in any way and you want to explore more, I would love to support you with some free offerings to get you feeling good! Make sure to check out SHACK15’s virtual wellness events and my free classes, virtual workshops, and 1-on-1 sessions, and keep taking care of you!