MarHow to Stay Happy & Fulfilled at Home During the Pandemic
People are unhappy now more than ever, due to the pandemic which has changed our lives completely. If months of living through the COVID-19 pandemic and the new variants that keep coming out has you feeling low, you’re not alone.
It’s difficult to stay optimistic during this pandemic, especially when we don’t know what the future holds. While we understand that maintaining social distance is necessary for keeping ourselves and our communities safe, it can have a negative impact on our mental health. Prioritizing our well-being and finding modest ways to feel normal, healthy, and even happy can assist us in getting through this trying time together.
The idea of developing personal happiness may seem unimportant — even selfish — in such trying times, but it may be more vital now than ever. That’s why we have come up with 6 ways you can keep yourself happy during a pandemic”
- Increase your physical self-care, including exercise.
Gretchen Rubin, author of “The Happiness Project” and host of the monthly podcast “Happier with Gretchen Rubin,” states that taking care of your health is the first step toward happiness. She asserts that “your body experience will always influence your emotional experience.” Research suggests that a mere 12 minute stroll is adequate to create an enthusiastic, pleasant mood, such as mild yoga or a fast walk can always help.
- Meditate.
Slowing down to meditate for even five minutes at a time is a great way to release stress and calm nerves. Meditation boosts feel-good neurochemicals while lowering stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
- Improve your sleeping habits.
When you’re self-quarantined in a global pandemic, getting a decent night’s sleep is difficult, yet rest is essential for physical and emotional health. Take extra precautions to try to regulate your sleep at the very least.
- Make new friends.
Both ancient thinkers and modern scientists believe that connecting with people is important. Don’t deny yourself social interaction even if you’re in quarantine. We’re blessed to have access to so much technology that allows us to communicate with people who aren’t in our immediate vicinity. It’s also a good opportunity to keep an eye out for family members who may be unfamiliar with these devices. Make sure they aren’t alone or left out.
- Don’t get caught up in being joyful or optimistic.
It may sound paradoxical, but chasing happy emotions might be harmful. Pursuing happiness actively can have the opposite impact. For one thing, the more we concentrate on our own pleasure, the less we pay attention to the happiness of those around us, which has been linked to feelings of isolation and detachment. There’s also a correlation between seeking happiness and feeling that time is passing you by.
And, again, if you’re focused on a goal like “I must feel joyful,” you might feel worse about yourself if you don’t achieve it – even if it’s natural to have a harder time feeling happy during stressful circumstances. It is much better to boost your mood by focusing on the minor pleasures that you experience in your everyday life.
- Self-Compassion.
It’s easy to be critical of yourself for not doing or feeling something you should. Instead of condemning yourself, try to be kind and understand that we are all trying our hardest. Self-forgiveness can help us be more present and empathetic towards others in our lives while also reducing stress. There are numerous materials available on the internet to assist you in practicing self-compassion.
If the past several months have taught us anything, it’s that things are continuously changing. It can be frustrating and overwhelming but dwelling on the bad parts of the current scenario would not make you feel any better. It’s natural to consider and plan for what-if scenarios. Recognize that your body’s anxiety response is in operation when you catch yourself falling into that “rabbit hole” or catastrophizing your situation. Dealing with what is happening right now on a regular basis can help you feel more in control.
About Jessica
Jessica Dang has developed and delivered bestselling face-to-face; virtual and learning programs internationally. She was instrumental in building the largest ‘hands-on’ education company in Asia. Additionally, she has conceptualized and built leading education businesses, learning tools and software for clients. An innovative educator, Jessica has also developed and managed large scale, multi-location learning events and outreach programs for leading international organizations. She brings her super fun, trademark chaos & mayhem learning technique to all her programs.
Jessica is a Certified Workplace Learning Specialist, a Specialist Adult Educator and a Marshall Goldsmith Executive and Team Coach. www.jessicadang.com
