Mental Health (not only) in Times of Pandemic

The closure of schools, shopping centres and restaurants, the cancellation of cultural events, restricted personal contact and movement; the busy schedules of many of us were suddenly replaced by unexpected amount of free time. Instead of clear plans, the insecurity and fears have come. Here you will find some tips on how to take care of your mental and physical well-being and how to manage your free time effectively.

Stay in touch with your loved ones

You should now limit the personal contact in order to protect yourself and the others, however this does not mean that you have to get completely isolated. We live in the 21st century which offers many ways of staying in touch with our family and friends. You can use an online chat, you can call or Skype and share your feelings and fears with them. Mutual support and the feeling that you are not alone in this is very important.

Sleep well

The sleep is essential for the mind and body’s regeneration, it gives us energy and strengthens our immunity. It is recommended to go to bed and wake up approximately at the same time every day and not to stay up the whole night. Generally, the adult needs to sleep between 7 to 9 hours a day. The length of the sleep depends on many factors, the main things is to feel well rested and fresh in the morning.

Contact our psychologist even online

The psychological counselling for the UO students is now available even online. Do you feel unwell? Does anything make you worried and you would like to talk about it with someone? The psychologist Ms Pavlína Jablonská is here for you. You can contact her at . Please use your student’s email for the communication. You will get the reply as soon as possible during the usual working hours. The maximum of three emails are sent within one problematic situation.

Keep daily routine

To have a daily routine and system in certain things and activities make you feel confident. If we know what we are going to do, it makes us calm. On the other hand, a chaos brings tension, unrest and unnecessary stress to our lives. Plan your daily activities. Be creative and make a colourful schedule, try to keep it and mark the activities that are done. Reward yourself when you do some difficult or unpleasant task, for example cleaning. Have enough time to relax, study or work and to do the house chores as well. Keep your home clean because it makes the mind peaceful.

Move!

Without any doubt, the exercise has a positive impact on the mental and physical health. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins - the so called hormones of happiness, which strengthen your immunity and stress resistance. Do some exercise every day or just go for a walk. You can get the inspiration on Youtube for example, if you do not know how to start.

Enjoy some free time activities

The study responsibilities and worries can be exhausting. The less time or energy we have, the more important it is to stop for a while and enjoy the activities and hobbies we like. We need to have a work-life balance. Now, when you have some extra time, you can enjoy whatever you like, you can read a book, watch a film, listen to your favourite music, draw, colour, play a game, do handcrafts, etc. Take care of your pet or just a plant. It will brighten your day. Think about the things you used to like doing but stopped for some reason, maybe now it is the time to do then again.

Stay healthy and happy,

Pavlína Jablonská
Psychologist
Counselling Centre UO

Updated: 31. 03. 2020