During this Circuit Breaker, many of us have been confined to our homes. We heard you and feel you and are experiencing the same as you. In this article, we will share several tips out of our pockets to remain mentally healthy and peaceful during this lockdown.
Picture this. Your phone is ringing, it’s your boss calling, demanding for that overdue draft proposal that you were supposed to submit yesterday. Meanwhile, your laptop is flooded with emails and notifications, all waiting to be attended to. On your left, your son or daughter is whining, wanting as much attention from you as your boss does. It seems that nowadays, this is a familiar scenario for many.
During this Circuit Breaker, many of us have been confined to our homes. We spend almost every hour of the day within these four walls, only going out for daily necessities or activities. This confinement has started taking a toll on us, even if we do not physically see it, and many of us have not done much about it.
Many of us working from home have often found that the lines between work, home, and leisure have blurred tremendously, and many of us have lost track of particular days, such as weekends or public holidays. This means that many of us are working Over-Time (OT) a lot or just working continuously day in and day out.
To some of us, Working from Home (WFH) is not as exciting as it sounds. Sure, we no longer need to wake up early in the wee hours to get ready or squish on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) during the crazy peak hours with the other office-goers. But it seems that our current workload outweighs all those benefits of staying home.
Not being able to cope with this “new normal”, some of us are starting to get really stressed out with what we must manage with. A recent report from FairPrice even stated that their wine sales have seen a 50% increase during this Circuit Breaker period, with many Singaporeans resorting to alcohol to cope with being secluded at home.
We are almost to the end of Circuit Breaker, and entering Phase 1: Safe Re-opening of the new government initiative, and people are still finding their way around coping with the “new normal.” The mental strain and stress this caused cannot be overlooked but must be acknowledged and taken care of – and it all begins with one deep breath at a time.
Breathe In, Breathe Out
Breathing, of course, has plenty of benefits, slows a rapid heartbeat to relax muscles and promote physical comfort, increase the amount of oxygen and release a sense of calm throughout your brain and body and focus on each breath clears distractions and therefore anxieties.
When you are stressed, your body tends to show you physical signs, such as insomnia and headaches, to name a few. Hence, such activities like breathing, taking a nap, or even some light exercises, can help relax your mind from all the mental stress it is going through.
Manage Your Clock
However, another common stress point is the lack of proper time management. You may be a mom who has to manage 3 kids on Home Based Learning (HBL) and a full-time job, or a student who is manging HBL and a part-time job. Either way, time management is key to reliving stress.
If you are a mom managing house chores and work, why not get your children to take up a little more responsibility while you work? Simple chores like sweeping and vacuuming can be done by the little ones, especially if there is a promise for ice-cream or candy after. This opens more windows for you to prioritise your work and allocate time to do the more practical chores.
Alternatively, create to-do lists and prioritise your work. This way you will know what is important and this gives you more time to focus on your work than to worry about what you have missed out.
Your Body Needs You
Forms of relaxation come from all around us, spend 30 minutes a day to do some meditation, or take a shower if you need one. Did you know, taking a bath is not just for hygienic purposes? Warm showers help with relieve from respiratory symptoms, helps with blemishes and provide muscle relaxation. Sleepy? Take a cold shower for a good wake up, it induces higher alertness and a more robust immune system.
On the other hand, some of us get by just by having a listening ear to help us find a different perspective on a problem we are facing. Talking to a loved one or friend who cares about you can really make your day and make things much better. Sometimes, they may not have the whole solution, but they can make you see the more significant and brighter picture of things.
However, if you do not feel like talking to a real person, there are still many apps available online that provide virtual listening ears, especially if we are staying home. In this day and time, technology does wonders in taking care of our mental health.
So much that even consulting a doctor can be done within the comfort of our bedroom, using Prudential’s new complementary app – Pulse. With this app, we can now take control of our own personal health and wellbeing with the 24/7 self-help services. Using Pulse, we can highlight mental and physical issues we never thought twice of. The first step to overcoming stress is to know where the stress is coming from. Afterall, physical wellness is paramount to mental wellness.
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Manage your health today, be it mental or physical. Make health your priority and download Pulse on iOS or Android. Terms and Conditions apply. Find out more here at https://www.prudential.com.sg/wedopulse.