5 Ways to Improve Mental Health in a Post-Pandemic World
By remaining silent and hesitating to confront our mental health struggles, we risk missing out on important opportunities to find answers for ourselves, help others, and recognize our common humanity.
“Common humanity” is a term coined by researcher Kristen Neff, Ph.D., to describe the universal human experience, particularly in relation to negative feelings and suffering. Embracing common humanity and acknowledging our shared experience facilitates connection and self-compassion.
It’s been a common adage in the past few years to say, “it’s okay to not be okay.” Reminding ourselves of this can be comforting and validating. It casts away guilt and shame, allowing space to heal and recover.
The truth is, few of us are actually okay right now. There is a lot of turmoil and uncertainty occurring in the world, and it’s been simmering for quite a while, leading to chronic and debilitating mental health consequences. It’s important to recognize how our reality has changed and the profound consequences of the events over the past two (plus) years.
We, as a society, have experienced a huge uptick in widespread social unrest due to agitating politics, mass shootings, racism, devastating wars, unstable economies, and countless instances of violence and injustices. Not to mention, virtually every nation on this planet has been affected by COVID-19, and to date, we are still battling this pandemic and its fallout. The pain from these events has manifested in a multitude of ways and is specific to each individual. Whether it be physical illness, isolation, depression, anxiety, grief, financial instability, and/or relationship discordance, it’s been hard. According to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organization (WHO), in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the worldwide prevalence of depression and anxiety increased by an astonishing 25%, and global mental health continues to worsen as resources dwindle. Anxiety is the most common mental health condition, affecting 40 million people in the U.S. alone, thus nearly one in every five Americans struggle with clinical anxiety.
It doesn't matter who you are or where you are, you have been profoundly changed by the events of the past two years, you may have struggled in ways you never thought possible, and chances are, you are still struggling. Any pre-existing chronic illness, be it mental and/or physical, only compounds the impact and peels away at one’s resilience to adversity.
Sharing these statistics and pointing out the commonality of mental health struggles is in no way downplaying anyone’s unique experience, but rather the intention is to demonstrate that if you are having a difficult time, you are not alone. If you are feeling scattered right now, lacking focus, struggling to get adequate sleep, or your productivity is lackluster, then you are in good company with hundreds of millions of people around the globe.
Although it is okay to not be okay, we don’t want to stay stuck in a negative mental health space forever. So where do you go from here? How can you get your life back on track to be the best version of yourself and start enjoying life again?
JOURNAL IT.
Journal Prompt Set # 1
The first step is to IDENTIFY what is causing you anxiety. This may seem incredibly obvious, but it is often not.
Really stop and think, “Why am I upset? What am I afraid of? What is the root cause of my stress right now?” You might be surprised. Once the problem is identified, then and only then, solutions can be found and implemented.
Sometimes the origin of your stress is pretty simple and can be addressed directly, but other times the reason you are anxious seems nebulous, taking some time to explore, and might be buried under layers of past traumas. An accumulation of stories you are telling yourself about your past might be informing your current narrative. It is important to validate your fears and be self-compassionate with what you have experienced. Dig deep, then take a step back, and notice what false narratives might be sabotaging your happiness and progress.
This work can be intense, so take your time as you move through this step.
Journal Prompt Set #2
Ask yourself, “What is the worst thing that could happen?” It’s okay to get really catastrophic here. This may sound counterintuitive, but while exploring the worst-case scenario, also consider “How realistic is this negative outcome?” This helps put the situation into perspective while grounding runaway imaginations. Maybe your contrived apocalypse is super realistic, but even so, it’s important to identify that likelihood so you get prepared and perhaps prevent negative outcomes. In addition, ask yourself, “What is the best thing that could happen?” Challenge yourself, even for just a moment, to shift your negative thoughts and imagination to positive ideas about the future. Allow yourself to revel in this vision of utopia.
Journal Prompt Set #3
Once you have identified the problem and possible scenarios, answer these questions: “What is out of my control? What can I do to emotionally let go of outcomes I cannot change?”
When it comes to other people’s words, thoughts, actions, or other external events such as natural disasters, there is usually little we can do to change those outcomes. Just like the clouds dropping rain as they wish, we cannot control the majority of what happens around us, especially when it comes to the actions (or inactions) of other people.
If your stress is related to interpersonal relations, it is important to acknowledge that other people’s hurtful or irrational behavior toward you might be influenced by their past traumas and has nothing to do with you. This doesn’t make the circumstance okay but helps to emotionally remove yourself from the situation. Regardless of the reasons why others act the way they do, worrying about what you cannot control is at best unproductive and at worst destructive, i.e. simply worrying about something does nothing to solve the problem but rather inhibits you from enjoying life and is a paralyzing distraction.
Consider making an intention to emotionally:
Release the past
Find compassion (both for yourself and others)
Surrender to the present moment
Establish harmony with the future through acceptance
Perhaps it might help to move this into a physical practice by actually “shaking it off,” freely moving your arms, legs, and torso with a spontaneous flow. This practice can feel incredibly freeing. You might imagine the weight of these thoughts physically lifting off your shoulders. You might notice you stand a little taller and feel a little lighter.
Journal Prompt Set #4
Now that we have created emotional/mental/physical space and piggybacking on the previous journal exercise, explore the flipside and ask, “What is in my control? What specific actions could I take to prevent negative outcomes and/or encourage positive outcomes?”
In addition to making a list of these actions, it may also be constructive to make a plan for how and when you will execute the actions. You might be surprised at the simplicity and the power of these actions in creating transformative outcomes.
In doing this exercise, consider and explore:
‘What’ Ask: What do I want? How do I want to feel?
‘Why’ Ask: Why do I want this? What exactly is motivating me to see the outcomes I desire?
‘How’ Ask: How am I going to make this happen? What are the steps?
‘When’ Ask: When will I take action?
Plans strategized to include the elements of being realistic, specific, timely, and measurable, are more likely to find results. When taking action to address mental health challenges and moving through difficult emotional barriers, it is especially important to stay mindful of your ‘why.’ Continuingly re-grounding yourself in your core beliefs, values, and visions of what you wish to become your reality can be incredibly motivating while keeping you connected and focused on the outcomes that serve you.
If this all feels daunting or exhausting, don’t overthink it. If you aren’t ready to take action or can’t think of anything you can do to change the outcome you desire, then simply think of at least one thing for which you are truly grateful and which has some connection with the stress trigger. Maybe it is as simple as, ‘I have a roof over my head, I have clothes on my back, I am loved, I am safe.’ Perhaps let that be your mantra. These basic needs are, unfortunately, more than many people in this world can say.
Journal Prompt Set #5
Working through trauma and navigating stressful, often unpredictable situations is not easy. Give yourself the support you need during this time. Yes, this is where the all-important practice of self-care comes in. Please do not neglect this step! Self-care is probably the most vital thing you can do for your physical and mental health.
Ask yourself, “What can I do, right now, at this moment to better my life and care for myself as I work through this difficult situation?”
There is no perfect formula; self-care looks different for each individual. What would make you feel refreshed or nurtured? Maybe that’s a walk outside, a warm bath, some stretching, deep breathing, meditation, a hot cup of tea, or a cuddle with your pet. Maybe you would prefer to do something social like calling a friend or connecting with a loved one. Or maybe it’s high energy like putting in some earbuds, turning on your favorite music, and hitting the gym or closing your bedroom door and literally dancing like nobody's watching. It doesn’t have to be a big action, in fact, oftentimes it’s better if it’s super simple, just enough to break out of your funk even for a few moments. Once you write it down, go and do that thing.
Give yourself and everyone around you some grace. We might not be okay, but we are all doing the best we can. Things will get better, one step at a time. Let’s heal together.
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