Managing our own mental health during a pandemic is hard work. There’s a lot of uncertainty and for a lot of people it has taken a lot of hard work to improve their mental health even before we had the pandemic happening. I get it. You worked hard to get to where you are today and now you’re worried if you can last the distance. You can. It’s not going to be easy. Having a limited structure, possibly no job, and worried for your future are all very real things to be concerned about. For now, you feel like you’re tracking “ok” but you’re not sure how long it will last. Hang on – hand tight, we’re going to get through this one way or another, but there are three things you need to be mindful of as a warning sign to relapse.
1. Monitor your self-talk – Let’s face it, we all turn on ourselves every now and then, and it’s by no means healthy because you’re the one who is listening, however if you’re noticing that your self talk is becoming more and more critical and it’s increasing in frequency then this can be a warning sign to relapse because it tells you that your stress levels are high. When our stress levels are high, we automatically start to think more negatively and we also turn on ourselves more easily.
2. Monitor your mood – How is your mood in this moment? Are you stressed? Anxious? Low in mood? Following on from the first point, some changes in mood are inevitable, and we deal with them when they happen however if your mood change is becoming more intense and it’s lasting longer and/or it’s becoming harder to handle then this is also a warning sign that things are slipping.
3. Monitor your daily habits – are you thinking “I can’t be bothered” more and more? If this sounds familiar then it could be a warning sign to relapse. The more stressed we feel and the more unhelpful thoughts we experience, then the less likely it is going to be that we’re going to keep engaging in behaviours that are helpful for us.
What you may have noticed with these three tips is a common theme – this being the frequency and intensity in which you experience these. If what you’re experiencing is increasing in frequency and it’s becoming more intense, and/or it’s impacting on your life in a significant way across different areas of your life then reach out for support. We’re here for you. To make an appointment give us a call on (03) 9882-8874.
This blog was written and prepared by Dr Celin Gelgec - Director and Clinical Psychologist @ Melbourne Wellbeing Group.