Good Mental Health and Well-being – Bouncing Back (Resilience)
Shared from Clogher Valley Sure Start www.cloghervalleysurestart.org
When we experience sudden or unsettling change, such as the outbreak of COVID-19, one thing that can help us cope is resilience. Resilience helps us deal with the emotions a new situation may cause and helps us bounce back from difficulties we might encounter.
Being resilient is an emotional skill and while it is not something we are born with, it is something we can develop and build, both as children and adults. That’s why we all respond to stress and adversity like that from the COVID-19 pandemic differently.
Think of resilience as a seesaw or balance scale, where negative experiences tip the scale toward bad outcomes, and positive experiences tip it toward good outcomes. For some people during the COVID-19 outbreak, the resilience scale may look like this:
The point where the scale balances is called the ‘fulcrum’ and if it is more to one side or the other, it can make it harder or easier to tip the resilience scale to the positive. Everyone’s fulcrum is in a different spot which explains why each person is different in how easily we can counterbalance hardships in life.
The good news is that the fulcrum can be moved by developing a toolkit of skills you can use to adapt and find solutions (Centre for the Developing Child, Harvard University, 2020).
So, what can we do to build up and maintain good mental health and resilience?
We can lighten the load on the negative side of the resilience scale by reducing sources of stress.
We can add to the positive side of the resilience scale by piling on positive experiences, especially through responsive relationships.
We can make it easier for a scale to tip toward positive outcomes by strengthening core life skills.
Practical ways to do this:
Participate in regular physical activity. Regular physical activity and exercise can help reduce anxiety and improve mood.
Eat healthily. Choose a well-balanced diet. Avoid loading up on junk food and refined sugar. Limit caffeine as it can aggravate stress and anxiety.
Avoid tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
Limit screen time. Turn off electronic devices for some time each day, including 30 minutes before bedtime.
Relax and recharge. Set aside time for yourself. Even a few minutes of quiet time can be refreshing and reduce anxiety.
Keep a regular routine. Maintaining a routine is important to your mental health. In addition to sticking to a regular bedtime routine, keep consistent times for meals, work and exercise. Also set aside time for activities you enjoy. This predictability can make you feel more in control.
Limit exposure to news media. Constant news about COVID-19 from all types of media can heighten fears about the disease. Limit social media that may expose you to rumours and false information.
Stay busy. A distraction can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression. Enjoy hobbies that you can do at home or clean out that closet you promised you'd get to! Doing something positive to manage anxiety, is a healthy coping strategy.
Set reasonable priorities. Don't become overwhelmed by creating a life-changing list of things to do while you’re home. Give yourself credit for every step in the right direction, no matter how small.
Focus on positive thoughts. Choose to focus on the positive things in your life, instead of dwelling on the negative.
Make connections. If you need to stay at home and distance yourself from others, avoid social isolation. Talk to people you trust about how you are feeling. Find time each day to make virtual connections by email, texts, phone, or FaceTime.
Reach out for help and support. The Clogher Valley Sure Start team continue to provide a wide range of online programmes and services, alongside telephone and home/garden gate visits to support you and your family at this difficult time. Your G.P, Midwife and Health Visitor are also available for advice.
Remember, yes, these are trying times - but they do offer a valuable opportunity to build on resilience and emotional strength.
