Holistic Wellness with Rakhi

Category: Care to share

Share your unforgettable, painful or unique experiences with your fellow wellness seekers. You can do so anonymously or with your profile name in our care to share segment.

  • 5 Tips About How To Take Care Of Mental Health During Lockdown

    5 Tips About How To Take Care Of Mental Health During Lockdown

    Mental health often remains an invisible entity in our lives until we experience any kind of mental health issues or something unusual happens with our minds. Depression could be considered a common means of sadness, anxiety could be treated as hypertension, and stress is simply taken for granted with the excuse that there might be increased working hours for the overload of scheduled jobs. Meanwhile, we tend to ignore that something is changing simultaneously in our lives. This is mainly happening because of the circumstances we are witnessing for the first time. So have you wondered how to take care of mental health?

    self care isn t selfish signage

    How to take care of your mental health?

    The pandemic situation has left a huge impact on mental health instability, mainly due to the lockdown phase. People needed to stay indoors for most of the day and this started affecting their mental health. Research has found that during the last year, the number of mental health issues cases has rapidly increased and it still continues, making the scenario more complicated. As there happened a great shift in the daily life routine and the lifestyle has completely changed for the lockdown restrictions, people are becoming more stressed and they are getting bored of being locked in for an uncertain period.

    Most of people become anxious hearing the news and updates and it’s quite obvious to feel worried for our near ones. But the scenario is becoming worse with each passing day and a wave of uncertainty is engulfing the world. But, this pandemic situation has been an eye-opener to the world that mental health is an inevitable part of our lives and for this reason, we should always prioritize our mental health first. It’s said that there is always a ray of hope amidst the darkness. During this lockdown phase, are you facing mental health instability? There is still hope for recovering this state of mind by following some easy tips and tricks about how to take care of mental health.

    young man in sleepwear suffering from headache in morning
    Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

    Here are some of the things that make you feel good after doing the tasks

    Stay connected

    Maybe this time, we all are sailing in the same boat. We can’t get outside of the home and communicate with people. But there is still another way to stay connected with your loved ones. You can contact them over call, write e-mails or virtual letters to them, converse with them over virtual meetings, and many more. The main aim is to get in touch with your near

    ones in this lockdown phase. Staying connected with them will make you feel better and you will find peace of mind.

    Take care of your family

    In the hustle and bustle of life, we often forget to ask the whereabouts of our dear ones. Due to the work pressure, we can’t give them the time and attention that they truly deserve. This time, you need to stay closer to your family members as they need help and support just the way you need it. Spend more time with them and ask them if they want to share something with you. Play with kids and assist the old ones in your family. Be patient and cautious at the same time. Sometimes, showing concern could make them feel better and acknowledged. Talk to them and be with them as much as possible.

    Spend some quality time with yourself

    In the rush of life, we often forget to take pause and ponder upon our own beliefs. This time, you need to take a momentary escape from the busy schedule of life and then you need to pause, breathe, and blissfully heal yourself so that amidst the chaos around, you will be able to find calm from within. Exercise and meditate regularly to get connected with your inner self. Write a gratitude journal and count your blessings every day. These are some of the self-care practices that could give you the ultimate peace of mind.

    a couple lying together while holding hands
    Photo by KoolShooters on Pexels.com

    Nurture plants

    The color green has a soothing effect on our minds. Therefore, whenever you feel stressed or anxious, or depressed if you come to your plants and nurture them with care, you will find peace of mind that stays with you for a long.

    Spread empathy and kindness

    Remember that in this phase, all the world is facing the same from both outside and inside. This time all we need is peace and being empathetic towards the people in distress and this could make you feel a precious part of the world. This time all of us search for a gentle touch of compassion and a tender heart of empathy. A small act of kindness can do wonders and bring happiness to someone’s life. Bring smiles to the faces of the deprived ones and be their listening ears. Stretch your hands to help someone in need, and be empathetic towards them. Be kind.

    This way, you get an answer to the unending question of how to take care of mental health in this pandemic situation. Whatever the circumstances, you will find some peace of mind. Being compassionate towards yourself and taking care of yourself should be the first priority for all of us. This not only helps to maintain peace of mind but also helps to improve your bonding with yourself and this will eventually help you to be safe and sane during the lockdown period.

    Prioritize your mental health and if you need some kind of professional consultation, you can seek help from the experts. Remember that there is always someone who can bring you out of the despair and guide you toward bliss.

    Swarnali is a blogger, author, podcast host, and founder of The Peace Stories Initiative. 

  • Girl, You Can Do Anything! Believe In Yourself

    Are you hesitant? Do you find yourself plagued with indecisiveness in making ‘bold’ decisions? Do you fear being judged for your actions? To some extent, all people are victims of self-doubts or insecurities at different points in their lives. But these feelings are often more amplified in women. Right from our childhood, we are conditioned by our family and society to think, feel, and behave in a certain way. Our actions are under constant scrutiny. Even today, many of us are told to be good wives, mothers, daughters, or daughter-in-law and sacrifice our dreams for the sake of male family members. Worse, some women are expected not to have any dreams at all.
    All of this means that as women, we are often shier and underconfident than our male brethren. We bottle up our thoughts and don’t speak our minds.0 We undermine our achievements and brush off compliments. Over a period, we stop believing in ourselves.
    To believe in yourself requires a holistic strategy.


    What you have in your minds is what we will achieve in your life. If you believe that you can and you can’t, you are correct in both cases! You need to have faith in your abilities and skills to achieve your ambitions. And self-belief can be practiced and developed with time. It entails falling in love with yourself, with all the experiences, personalities, and perspectives that make you unique. You are one of a kind in the world- there is no one else like you. You have an ‘unfair advantage’ over others and need to tap this to achieve success. Countless reams have been gone into the subject of overcoming shyness and gaining confidence. Here, I am putting forth some simple techniques to create ‘empowering’ beliefs that will boost your self-confidence.

    8 Ways to believe in yourself:

    Believe in yourself - Woman visualising

    1. Positive affirmation

    Look into the mirror first thing after you get up every morning and say ‘I Am the Best’ aloud. Enthusiastically, repeat this affirmation at least ten times every day until it’s ingrained into your subconsciousness. Lock yourself in the bathroom, to begin with, if you are self-conscious. The results will amaze you.

    2. Me time

    Take out the time to look your best and give yourself some space. Dress up more often, even when you are at home. Looking good will make you feel good, giving a boost to your self-confidence.

    3. Do one new thing every day

    You can start small, like going out for a ten-minute walk alone or reading the newspaper after your husband finishes it. You are gradually moving outside your comfort zone by trying a new thing every day. The change will only make you grow, and you won’t even realize when you start taking up more arduous tasks.

    4. Engage in an activity or hobby that makes you feel relaxed

    This could be anything from reading to music to gardening. Take some lessons or join some clubs. This will enlarge your social circle. Exploring things that excite you is a great antidote for shyness.

    5. Feed Your Mind with thoughts of what you want to achieve

    Surround yourself with positive thoughts as a first step to believe in yourself. Watch documentaries about people who have overcome obstacles to achieve their goals. Read inspirational quotes and note down the ones that strike a chord with you. Self-educate yourself about new topics, like personal finance, that will help you reach your goals.

    6. Ask for advice

    It is not a sign of weakness. Make a point to seek advice from others who have achieved goals similar to yours. Helping others and sharing advice make people feel good about themselves, and they would be happy to help.

    7. Build a healthy routine

    You need to adopt different habits to achieve different results than you were getting till now. Consider building meditation, yoga, visualization, incantations, reading, or a combination of any or all of these into your daily life. Setting a new routine will enable you to recognize your inner power and set the tone for a confidence-filled day.

    8. If you are shy or conscious, let people know.

    Many people, like me, find it difficult to follow a noisy conversation involving large groups of people. Be frank and directly convey to others that you are having difficulty. Others are more likely to invite you to join their conversation rather than leave you alone when you say so. People respect honesty and vulnerability.

    Conclusion

    Replacing a limiting belief with an empowered one takes time and practice, but consistency will give you the desired results. Wake up feeling good about yourself, and nothing can come in between you and the world. As you believe in yourself, so you will become.

    Smita Das Jain is a Personal Empowerment Life Coach, Executive Coach, and NLP Practitioner. Smita’s ‘Empower Yourself’ Coaching Program enables people to create a career they love, find time to do all that they like, and live the life they choose. You can learn more about Smita’s ‘Empower Yourself’ Coaching Programs by visiting www.lifecoachsmitadjain.com.