Tip 1: Exercise

Regular physical exercise helps maintain mental health and boost our mood. In fact, regular moderate physical exercise has been studied and included in our psychiatry guidelines as an approach to help treat depression.

Tip 2: Sleep

Good sleep habits can help improve our mood and prevent mental illness. One third of our lives is spent sleeping, so learning good sleep habits is definitely worthwhile.

Tip 3: Balanced Thinking

We can change our mood by changing how we think. If we notice we are having all or nothing thinking (for example,  “nothing goes my way”, or, “no one likes me”), practice making those thoughts more balanced by seeing the other side of things (“some things don’t work out for me but other things do”, or, “some people like me while others don’t like me”).

This is a key component of cognitive behavioural therapy and can actually help us start to change our moods to become less depressed or anxious and more positive and balanced.

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In addition to facing a variety of challenges, individuals are experiencing different types of loss over the course of the pandemic: the loss of a loved one, of a support network, financial loss, or perhaps missing out on a milestone experience such as a graduation or a wedding that was cancelled or adjusted as a result of COVID-19.

No matter what your situation is, being more compassionate towards each other and especially towards ourselves can be a helpful tool in managing mental health amid the challenges of pandemic life.

Here are some strategies that may help guide you to find more mental health resilience in 2021:

Acknowledge the challenges

Identify that you are having difficulty and what may be contributing to this. This reflection can help reduce feelings of guilt and the burden of current expectations you are putting upon yourself. This can also validate how you are feeling.  Also, allow yourself to have a role in improving your situation. Focus on the things we have control over, and what we CAN do, such as staying home and wearing masks and practicing the strategies below, versus what is out of our control such as restrictions.

Adjust perspective

If a situation is viewed from a negative lens as being ‘all bad,’ it is likely to be experienced that way. Trying to see both the challenges and successes, and considering the good elements of a situation, can help change the way it is experienced – likely in a more positive and balanced light. Adjusting perspective takes practice, time and patience.

Set goals and set yourself up for success

Setting goals can help us take action to make changes in our lives. Achieving goals can help boost mental health and motivation. Beginning with a small goal and growing from there can be a helpful starting point.

It is important that goals are ‘SMART,’ which stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.  Start with one goal.  Set a goal for yourself that you know you can accomplish. If you find you made a specific goal and are thinking, “That’s an easy task, of course I can do that”, that is probably a good goal to start with. Other tips for success: trouble shoot in advance to remove any hurdles in achieving the goal, or modify the goal itself, if needed.

Self-care

Taking care of yourself and your needs is important for mental health. Self-care can help foster resilience and include activities such healthy sleep habits, exercise, healthy eating, and staying connected with others virtually or by phone. In stressful times, breathing exercises can help calm feelings of stress or anxiety. This video about Box breathing demonstrates how it works and highlights its benefits.

Reach out for help

If feelings of stress and anxiety become overwhelming to the point where it is difficult to accomplish every day tasks or if things are further declining or are just not getting better, reach out for help from family, friends, colleagues, and professionals such as your family doctor or therapist. If there is an emergency you can call a crisis line or call 911. Remember you are not alone. Here are stories from real people about their struggles with mental health and addiction, and how they reached out for help.

These strategies may take some practice but be patient with yourself as you go through the process. Taking it step-by-step each day can be helpful in improving mental health and building resilience, not just this year and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in the years to come.

If you need help in an emergency please call 911 or visit your local emergency department. If you’re feeling like you’re in crisis or need somebody to talk to, please know that help is also available through community resources:

• Find a local crisis resource at sunnybrook.ca/gethelp
• Crisis Services Canada
  • Phone: 24-hour, toll-free 1-833-456-4566
  • Text: 45645 (4:00 pm – midnight Eastern Time)

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Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a way of ‘thinking and doing’ that is an evidence-based approach, offering strategies to manage challenging moods and anxieties. Below are some tips to help keep well during this stressful time.

Make a routine for yourself and your family

With many changes in our work and social interactions because of COVID-19 and physical distancing, it is important to create a new daily routine. Having a predictable routine can reduce anxiety and improve focus and productivity. Make sure that you incorporate time for self care including exercise, time for connecting with others (via telephone or social media), and time to do things you enjoy. Consider adding things into your routine that can provide a sense of accomplishment like catching up on work, cleaning out a cupboard, or learning a new skill.

Catch, Check, and Change troublesome thoughts

This exercise can help improve your mood by modifying your thoughts to be more balanced. When you notice you are having strong negative emotions, try to catch the thoughts that are accompanying them. Check the thoughts by taking a step back and making sure you are looking at all of the factors in the situation. It can be helpful to imagine that someone you love is having this thought. Think about what you would say to them, including the pros and cons. Finally, change, or modify the original thought by making it more balanced based on the facts you’ve identified. Here’s an example of how to use this strategy:

Catch the initial thought: I’m not going to be able to cope during this crisis.

Check the thought by looking at the facts: There are real health concerns. I’ve managed with other difficulties in the past (e.g. family illness, job changes). There are supports in place from our community and government to help me get through it.

Change and reframe the initial thought based on the facts: While there are real concerns and this is a challenging time, I have coped with difficulties before and there are supports and strategies I can use to stay healthy, like physical distancing.

Use behavioural strategies: mindfulness, breathing and relaxation

Mindfulness meditation:

Mindfulness is paying attention to thoughts and feelings in a particular way — on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. This can lead to increased awareness, decreased negative thinking, decreased ruminations and catastrophizing, which can lead to a different approach to problems, with more choice and different ways of responding.

We can use the breath or bodily sensations as anchors to keep us in the moment. There are different mindfulness meditation practices including body scan, sitting practices, mindful walking and mindful movement.

Some links to begin to explore mindfulness meditation:

1. Jud Brewer is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist with expertise in mindfulness. This is a brief meditation exercise addressing anxiety around coronavirus.
2. Ten Percent Happier is offering free access to guided meditations for health care workers. As well there are free meditations for everyone here by world renowned teachers.
3. Mindfulness during the coronavirus: Harvard professor’s tips to help lower anxiety.

Box breathing:

Imagine breathing around a box. Inhale as you visualize going up one side of the box, then pause as you go across the top of the box, exhale as you imagine travelling down the side, and pause again as you travel along the bottom of the box. As you breathe in gradually to fill your lungs with air, hold for 1-5 seconds, then exhale the air, hold for 1-5 seconds, and repeat. This can be done 7-10 times in a row, focusing on the breath.

Progressive muscle relaxation:

Tense and relax each muscle group starting from your feet and gradually work your way up the body to your face. This exercise has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve sleep and wellbeing by lowering blood pressure and decreasing muscle tension.

Some links to walk you through the exercise of progressive muscle relaxation:

• How to do progressive muscle relaxation (PDF)
• Stress Management: Doing Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Practice good sleep habits

Good sleep habits, also known as sleep hygiene, can help improve the way we handle challenging situations. Try to go to sleep around the same time each night and wake up around the same time each morning. Create a relaxing bedtime routine so you can wind down and train your body that it’s time for sleep. While in bed, avoid using things that you associate with being awake such as your phone or watching television. If you find yourself lying in bed and cannot fall asleep after 15-20 minutes, get out of bed and do something low key, such as reading a book. When you feel tired, go back to bed and try again.

Using CBT strategies may take some getting used to but try to be patient with yourself. These tips can be used whenever you’re feeling stress, fear or anxiety and can be practical everyday strategies to help individuals cope and manage their mental health.

If you need help in an emergency please call 911 or visit your local emergency department. If you’re feeling like you’re in crisis or need somebody to talk to, please know that help is also available through community resources:

• Find a local crisis resource at sunnybrook.ca/gethelp
• Crisis Services Canada
• • Phone: 24-hour, toll-free 1-833-456-4566
  • Text: 45645 (4:00 pm – midnight Eastern Time)

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