Control what you can control. You’ve heard it time and time again. It’s a big part of how to keep mentally fit and strong.

These days, we’re finding that there are countless things that we can’t control, especially now with the current state of affairs locally, nationally, and globally.

As we face an unprecedented time, it is important that we take care of our mental space as much as possible. These fundamentals of how to stay mentally fit and strong can help to structure your day to promote personal wellness and give us the bandwidth to fully support our loved ones.

Create Routines

Staying mentally fit and strong starts with routines. Routines create predictability, which can be stabilizing in the face of uncertainty. When we know the next action in front of us, there are no decisions to be made. This preserves the capacity for problems we encounter later in the day. 3 great times for routines: after waking up, after finishing work for the day, and before going to sleep.

My Personal Morning Routine

•  Get Dressed

•  Brush Teeth

•  Drink a Glass of Water

•  Feed cats/empty litter box

•  Check Weather

•  Go on a 15-minute walk

•  Make breakfast

•  Journal for 10 minutes

I do this almost every morning without fail. There is no doubt about what I will be doing for the first hour of my day.

Going on Walks

Getting fresh air, movement, and sunlight have all been shown to improve mood. Try committing to at least 20 minutes outside if it is a possibility for you. Of course, maintain social distance!

Firm Limits for News Exposure

It is easy to fall into the hourly media cycle. At a certain point, more time following the news offers diminishing returns for valuable information, and increased levels of stress. Pick a time/frequency that you agree will give you enough exposure to be informed. Set a hard limit for yourself. 

If you must check regularly, CDC and local government updates may decrease the likelihood of binging.

Try this experiment: After a few hours of news isolation, rate your stress level on a scale of 1-10, or low-med-high. Read/watch current news for some time. Re-rate stress levels. How did they change over that time period?

Meditate

Another tip on how you can stay mentally strong? Meditate.

Take some time to pay attention to your body. Headspace, Calm, Waking Up, and countless youtube videos offer meditations. Pick one with a voice you like a start small.

If meditation does not seem attractive to you, try a short yoga class. Yoga with Adrienne is a great option on YouTube.

You can also try a concept called Box Breathing. You sit in a quiet area and take a deep breath in for 4 seconds. Then you hold for 4 seconds. Then exhale for 4 seconds. Last, wait 4 seconds before inhaling. This can be another great technique to help with stress relief.

Organize

If you are anything like me, you still have unpacked boxes from the apartment you lived in 4 years ago. With so much happening that is out of our hands, now is a great time to exert control over that which you can: your living space. Taking charge of this can calm your nervous system.

If you need some inspiration to get started, try watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix.

Times like these or any other stressful life situation can be challenging personally, professionally, etc. Taking part in:

• Consistent Routines

• Going on Walks

• Firm Limits to News Exposure

• Mindfulness

• Organizing

can make all the difference in how you feel each and every day.

Thank you to Jared Packer for contributing this amazing piece on how to stay mentally fit. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to him at jared@movestrongphysicaltherapy.com

At Move Strong Physical Therapy in Central Massachusetts, we don’t just work with clients and athletes for physical ailments, but we work to address the other aspects of life that contribute to overall well-being. We are here to help. Take that first step, click HERE.