As the world battles the numerous recurring strains of the COVID-19, the uncertainty surrounding our future grows every day. The anxiety and sorrow that we feel during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are much like the deafening silence that follows an explosion; you don’t know what to expect.

The social distancing and lockdown resulted in people losing their jobs, their loved ones, and even a surge in suicide rates due to hopelessness if you managed to remain unaffected from the coronavirus pandemic, *gasps* Congratulations!

However, suppose the culmination of events from your life, including the coronavirus pandemic, has resulted in affecting your mental health-inducing feelings of hopelessness and sadness. In that case, this article might be what you need right now.

The ‘new normal’ is an overused term that constantly evolves as we tough it out during these unprecedented times. So, whatever the reasons for your mental health issues, let us discuss the mental health solutions and how you can maintain, if not improve, your quality of work while suffering from these issues.

Problems with your mental health can be debilitating, affecting your energy and motivation levels. No, we are not talking about having occasional lazy days; we refer to the overwhelming sorrow and anxiety felt while performing the simplest tasks. 

Even basic things such as getting out of one’s bed may need one to muster up all their earned motivation. Going to work, cleaning the house, meeting friends, and other activities part and parcel of one’s life turn into too much of a hassle when one suffers from depression.

Let us look at five fail-proof ways to manage your depression effectively:

The Snowball Effect

Having negative thoughts once in a while is normal. However, when we start leading a life filled with constant negative thoughts and emotions, it becomes a matter of concern. 

Think of depression like a ball of negative thoughts. Much like a snowball that grows in size as it progresses down the hill accumulating everything that comes in its way, depression worsens once we spiral and give in to our negative emotions and feelings.

It is important to remember not to feed your depression. Doubts, insecurities, fear, and paranoia are the building blocks of depression and sadness. We understand how challenging controlling one’s thoughts can be, so, no, we are not asking you to turn into the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt overnight.

However, it would help if you learned to identify your negative thoughts and started practicing positive thinking. Once you acknowledge the problem, replacing your negative emotions with positive and more realistic reviews would be easier.

Living In The Present

Depression can be an all-consuming situation that causes one to get absorbed in their feelings and thoughts. It is crucial to counteract the negative thoughts and inward spiral caused by depression by increasing interaction with the outside world.

For example, when you cook your meals,

• Acknowledge the act of cooking for yourself. 
• Feel the love you have for yourself and the ways you take care of your body. 
• When chopping vegetables, focus on maintaining a uniform veggie size. 
• Observe the process of cooking by noticing what different spices do to your food. 
• Experiment with your favorite food items by creating something unique.
• Notice how it makes you feel, from feeling the hunger pang in your stomach to serving food on a plate. 

Being more present in the now can help you break the chain of your depressive thoughts. Studies show that most depressed people focus on past events and their regrets in life. It is either that or fixating on the uncertainty of the future. Excessive worrying and overthinking about the past or the future affects one’s present.

While we can’t control actions or events from the past or prevent things from happening, focussing on the present moment is an excellent place to start. For example, when you wash your face first thing in the morning, focus on how the water feels against your skin instead of thinking about worldly woes.

Physical Activity

Be it Yoga, Zumba, pilates, or going to the gym, whatever your preference of the type of workout, as long as you clock in physical activity 3-5 times a week, you can keep depression and other mental health issues at bay.

When we exercise, our body releases ‘happy hormones’ and mood boosters; not only does exercising help us lose inches, but it also improves our mental health by keeping us engaged, away from our negative thoughts.

Savor Small Pockets Of Happiness

When finding a permanent fix for your depression, it is easy to lose track of your small successes. Anxiety and depression cause one to resent themselves, leading them to question their decisions and judgment. 

Acknowledging your instincts and trusting them can help you improve your relationship with yourself. Irrespective of how trivial the choices you make, like the flavor of your ice cream, making decisions would help you develop trust within yourself.

Practicing decision-making would ultimately lead you to make sound choices without self-doubt or questioning your judgments. This would also reduce the time taken to make these decisions eliminating the habit of overthinking and overanalyzing in the long run.

Please keep track of your victories, no matter how insignificant they may seem. If it was difficult to catch up with your colleagues yesterday and today you find yourself sitting in the office break room sharing a coffee with them, this is cause for celebration.

Don’t Let Messages Interrupt Your Train of Thought

Depression leads to concentration problems causing difficulty focusing on tasks. Combine this with the constant flow of work emails and phone calls one receives, and you have a recipe for disaster.

It can be challenging to focus on your work while multitasking. Diverting your emails and calls would be beneficial, especially if submerged in essential tasks at hand. Resist the urge to check your mails by timing your email breaks constantly. You can choose a specific time of day to respond to emails, messages, and phone calls.

Let us know in the comments your secret to managing a successful work-life while suffering from depression or other mental health issues.