The COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult period for everyone. From remote working, homeschooling, worries over health, and economic recession, all these and more have become a basis for the mental health issues that are plaguing us at the moment.
As we spend more time indoors hoping things will return to normal, we rely on distractions and temporary pleasures to deal with the boredom and anxieties. But as the pandemic and lockdowns went on, the long periods we spent in our homes have made us wearier and more desperate to go outside.
In a recent study, psychological morbidity was significantly higher in the U.K. during the COVID-19 pandemic, where women, younger people, and COVID-19 patients are most affected. The affected populations showed high rates of mental health symptoms, such as anxiety, insomnia, and depression.
To beat boredom and loneliness, people are turning to the Internet to look for ways to kill time and get a better hold of the situation. People are binge-watching movies and TV shows, getting into new hobbies, starting online businesses, and trying out fitness routines. Meanwhile, those who want to ease their stress and cope with their anxieties turn to meditation coaches that offer an online Zen meditation course to help them with their mental wellness conditions.
While there are plenty of ways to be busy during a pandemic, meditation is one of the worthwhile activities to enrich your mind, body, and spirit. In these uncertain times, it is important to teach ourselves how to manage our own emotions and mental energy to give ourselves a much-needed break from this pandemic. That being said, here’s a brief discussion on how mindfulness can help us get through these trying times.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a type of formal meditation. Although many people feel intimidated by the thought of everything involved with meditation, mindfulness is no different from going to the gym to exercise. When it comes to mindfulness, your job is to simply focus on your mind and breath at the same time. As the practice progresses, you’ll soon learn to control your muscles.
Most people confuse mindfulness with other meditation techniques, such as transcendental meditation that focus on using one’s mantra. As a matter of fact, practicing mindfulness doesn’t revolve around meditation alone. It’s all about being present and focusing on what’s going on without reacting to anything. Doing this consistently will help you learn to let go of the things that come at you.
Being nonjudgmental and more accepting is a crucial part of mindfulness. This means you have to refrain from being too critical of the things around you. Although this may seem easy, following a regular mindfulness routine is difficult. It only becomes a skill once you learn how to stay in the moment fully.
The benefits of mindfulness during the COVID-19 pandemic
Practicing mindfulness can help us understand the current situation without letting ourselves get carried away with negative emotions. It gives us a sense of peace, balance, and calmness that can benefit our overall health and emotional well-being.
Many people are ignoring the emotional effects of COVID-19 and the potential changes it can cause in our daily lives. Due to the unpredictability of the situation, our emotions reach higher levels than normal circumstances. It leads to a roller coaster of emotions, where we might feel lonely, furious, and confused at the same time. To overcome this, people have to work on their ability to set the balance in response to different stressors.
People should take advantage of mindfulness to get a better hold of their minds and emotions. Aside from exercise, good nutrition, and exercise, investing some time in meditation will help develop a better response in times of adverse situations.
Practicing mindfulness
There are plenty of ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine. During the practice, you have to expand your conscious awareness. This means you have to focus on your present experience during the meditation, including the flow of your breathing. As you focus on your breath, allow your mind to drift on your emotions and thoughts without passing any judgment.
The key to practicing mindfulness involves three aspects: paying attention in the present, doing the act deliberately and purposely, and maintaining an attitude to stick with your practice.
As we wait for the pandemic to die down, it’s important to look for complimentary treatments to work on our emotional, behavioral, and psychological processes to prevent the negative effects of the COVID-19. Learning how to practice mindfulness can help us tolerate the uncertainty and frightening possibilities that are plaguing the world currently. For now, allow yourself to savor all the potential benefits of mindfulness to your overall health and well-being.
