Tips to help maintain your mental health

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You can no longer hang out with friends at a coffee shop, spend the day at your condominium’s community pool, or volunteer at the local hospital. The weekly card game has been canceled, as have your family get-togethers.

These are challenges of navigating the new realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness, or fear and dread about what’s to come.

But even with all the stress and sadness, mental health experts believe you can stay hopeful during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Sandra Castillo, a Miami psychologist and board member of the Florida Mental Health Coalition, offers seven ways to take care of your mental health and stay optimistic.

Do a daily self-check. Take stock of your mental health each day and change up your routine as needed, “If you are feeling low, do something different to stay active and keep your mind sharp,” Castillo says. Read, go for a walk in the park or do a crossword puzzle — the goal is to add something new to your routine that you enjoy.

Make sure to stay physically healthy. “There is a connection between mental health and physical health. If you want to have positive well-being, you do need to exercise,” Castillo said. She suggests going on morning walks to start your day with structure and fresh air. If you can’t leave home, or if you need to quarantine, stay active inside as much as you can with exercise videos on YouTube or a stretching routine.

Focus on what you have. “I have a lot of patients who keep gratitude journals,” Castillo explains. “When they focus on what they do have, it makes their day a little easier,” The Miami psychologist advises looking at the areas of your life you do have control over — start the morning with a prayer or with positive affirmations and set the energy for the rest of the day. “I encourage people to look at life with the cup half full. It really makes a difference when you shift your negative thought process into a positive one. In difficult times like this, try to find the positive in what has happened.”