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Testing positive for COVID-19 is never a fun time. Regardless of what your workplace says, you may feel like you need to isolate yourself for a while to avoid potentially infecting others. Whatever your quarantine period looks like, you’re sure to experience some inner turmoil regarding your illness. While you might be taking care of your physical health, you also need to ensure your mind is in tip-top shape. Try these Covid mental health tips to get you through your quarantine, however it may look.
When your body is trying to heal, you need to get as much rest as you can — and that means staying away from using devices in excess. The blue light may make it so that you can’t rest, and scrolling social media will only give you FOMO. Whatever is on your phone can wait until after you’ve taken care of yourself.
If you aren’t getting a lot of physical movement while you’re sick, you also need to cut back on your screen time, or else you may experience cybersickness. Typically, cybersickness occurs when you scroll too much on your phone, resulting in feelings of nausea or dizziness. Avoid scrolling endlessly, as it could harm your physical and mental health in more ways than you could be aware of.
When you’re not feeling well, the last thing you need is to feel bogged down by news stories, good or bad. Take some time for yourself and absorb only good information relevant to your situation, if you can. Ask a trusted person to help you avoid any bad news while you’re feeling under the weather. This person can then tell you bad news if you really need to hear it, but they can also keep you informed on what they think you have to know while you’re not feeling well. That way, you’ll have a stable mental state while your body fights to recover.
How you nourish your body directly affects how you feel, mentally and physically. Eating something as simple as nuts and seeds can slightly improve feelings of depression, whereas meat can increase your mental fog. You should build a nutritious diet to eat even when you’re feeling well, but having the right amount of fruits, vegetables and liquids can help you feel better when you’re sick. Try to eat foods that promote your immune system rather than damage it.
One of the most essential Covid mental health tips you may ever receive is to lean on your loved ones during this time. You may not want to leave your house after you test positive. In that case, have a loved one shop for groceries for you. They may even want to drop off cooked dishes so that all you have to do is warm up a hearty meal.
Support groups are great because your loved ones know you well. They’ll be able to identify when you’re feeling fatigued or stressed, maybe even before you do. They will advocate for your well-being and remind you to rest, reassuring you throughout your anxiety over being sick. Your loved ones will also remind you not to blame yourself. You could have done everything right and still might have gotten ill.
No matter what you’re sick with, you should prioritize getting rest over anything else. Sleep will help your body relax and repair itself, and even if you’re not sleeping, you may also need to rest your body. When you don’t get much sleep, you might be more prone to depressive episodes or higher anxiety levels in your waking hours, so it’s best to stick to a nighttime routine whenever possible. Sleeping helps both your physical and mental health, so a tremendous Covid mental health tip is to plan to get enough sleep while quarantining.
In time, you’ll find that the COVID-19 virus no longer affects you. Still, it might be a pretty tough ride for you, so you should be prepared for the worst — but hoping for the best is always a good idea, too. These Covid mental health tips will ensure that you don’t work to your own detriment or isolate yourself when you need support the most. If you take care of yourself, you’ll soon notice symptoms easing and can jump right back into your life like you never left. It might feel difficult now, but just keep hoping, and you’ll experience a brighter day.
