It is every bit as important to take care of mental health as it is to safeguard your physical health while you are staying home during the COVID-19 crisis. Your mind is as critical to your well-being as your body and you must be good to yourself in this regard as well. If you lose sight of your emotional health, you can end up suffering from depression and anxiety. This can get magnified when you are not able to go out frequently and enjoy your favorite activities. Here are five things that you can do to further your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak.

Don't Overdose on News

This is perhaps the best thing that you can do for yourself right now. There is a fine line between keeping yourself well-informed and focusing too much on what will stress you out and give you anxiety. You will have the inclination to keep the news on all day long because there are no sports or many other live events. However, there is such a thing as too much here because the news is all bad. Plus, you will find yourself subject to the many downs of the constant reporting of death and rumors. There is nothing wrong with staying informed, but keep your consumption of the news to what you need to know and no more.

Get Some Exercise

While exercise may seem to be geared to your body, it actually works every bit as much for your mind. This is because there are chemicals that are released that help your brain. The physical activity will make you feel better about yourself. When you move around, many of the negative sentiments in your mind do not have the chance to take hold. It is when you are sitting inside for a prolonged period that you will end up focusing on the angst and worry that you likely face. Take a few minutes to go outside for a walk if you can. If not, do a brief home workout to break a sweat.

Interact with People Online

One of the biggest things that will get you down when you are staying at home is the lack of human contact. As human beings, we need a certain level of interaction with others because it is in our nature. However, when we are denied social activities, we are left alone with our own thoughts. It is when these thoughts are not healthy that you mental health will be impacted. While online and Zoom activities are not the same as in-person events, they are at least something where you can have conversations with others and step outside yourself. Try to find a Zoom happy hour so you can meet new people or even set one up with your friends. While it is not the real thing, it at least is the next best thing.

Keep a Schedule and Goals for Yourself

Perhaps you are one of the tens of millions of Americans who are unemployed right now or have been sent home from your school. You may even be working but subject to a reduced workload. Either way, having a schedule for your day will make you feel like a more efficient and accomplished person. Try to organize your day into blocks so you feel like you have a purpose. Begin each day with a goal of what you want to accomplish so you can still feel vital and successful even if you are not going about your normal daily routine. Even if you are just doing things around the house, staying organized with your time and having goals can help keep your mind and well-being from sliding into oblivion.

Write it Down

You are right to be worried about what is going on right now, and we will never seek to trivialize your concerns. However, you may not be as frightened about whatever it is that is on your mind when you have a chance to read it out. Therefore, you should keep a journal where you write your positive and negative thoughts down on paper. Pay even more attention to documenting what is stressing you. When you are able to read your own words, you may be able to think objectively about what you are feeling. After you have put it down and come back to it a few hours later, you may find that what you were concerned about bothers you a little less when you can read what you wrote.