The world has been a different place since 2019/2020. From having started living a new normal which includes being physically away from everyone, to living in fear of losing our loved ones and losing our source of income, it’s been really challenging. Mental health has taken a great toll during this period, and more than ever, it needs greater attention now.
Even the strongest of person is shaken, either emotionally, physically or economically. However, one must not forget that if good times didn’t last, bad won’t last either. Every cloud has a silver lining. The pandemic has made us appreciate every single thing we are blessed with, be it the food on our plate, the job we still have, the company of our loved ones. It has made us more empathetic towards the ones who have not been so fortunate enough, towards the other living beings, towards the environment and the entire creation.
“Nevertheless, let us all stay optimistic and look forward to a brighter and happier future. Our mental wellbeing is utmost important to overcome any unwanted situations in life. It’s very important to open up and discuss your fears and anxiety, either with your family, friends or a counsellor. There are ways to deal with it, not necessarily involving medication, which is recommended, only when required”, says Ishita Kotiya, Life Coach & Energy Healer.
During the pandemic, I came across people being frustrated with their monotonous life which was now being frozen at their own respective homes. They were not able to go out, they were not able to have human interaction as many of them lived away from their hometown for work purposes. Simple things like doing Yoga or HIIT (High intensity interval training) & structural training with basic weights available at home helped them vent out their frustration. One of the other most used techniques which was suggested by me to my clients was Journaling. They were asked to journal their thoughts every evening before going to bed, no matter how hard the day got, this was one task which they had to maintain. Journaling helps you to reflect on your day, to reflect on your emotions and specially makes you an observer of the kind of emotions you had throughout the day which helps you to understand yourself, your nature, your personality and your way of tackling your problems as well.
A Life Coach helps people through their problems with a slightly dynamic approach, while creating a safe space but also pushing the clients to find their own solutions to problems over a period of time. A Life Coach can be many things amongst a good listener, an advisor, a guide, a spiritual help (if certified) and many more.
For the people who lost their jobs during the pandemic, they suffered a lot of mental health issues because of the uncertainty and the fear which got into them during the circumstances. Not knowing about how bad the situation outside would get and losing the financial security on the top of it has been a dealbreaker. I have seen such people losing their sleep and looking for jobs for almost 20 hours a day which definitely makes the whole situation much more scary and toxic. We need to understand that what is done cannot be undone, but we won’t have the leverage of earning money if we don’t take care of ourselves. Many studies have already proven how bad mental health can easily turn into bad physical health and it gives us physical symptoms like headaches, fever, fatigue, anxiety cramps, palpitations and many more.
Some tips which helped my clients were staying away from coffee, as caffeine is unhealthy for our body and soul. Don’t just wake up and open your laptop/job portals looking for a job – as much as it sounds like the right thing to do keeping in mind that the uncertainty is so much that you can’t think of anything else. When you do this, you end up putting a lot of pressure on your mind and your emotional well-being. It’s important for you to take that one hour and NOT think about anything at all. Just be. Talk to people who motivate you rather than the ones who tells you how bad the market situation is. The bottom line is keep away from negativity, rather listen to motivational podcasts or watch motivational videos. Last but not the least, make a time table. Just because you don’t have a job, does not mean that you work for 24 hours a day. It’s important to take intervals in between for your own sanity.
“For the ones, who lost their loved ones, it’s the toughest situation to overcome the pain and the loss. All one can do is pray for the soul, spread cheer by financially, physically or even emotionally lending a hand to ones in distress. Spreading happiness will bring inner peace and happiness within you and help you deal with your loss. Remember, everyone has to leave this world sooner or later, try and make it easier for the loved ones who have left you, they certainly don’t want to see you unhappy”, adds Kotiya.
