Sangeeta Thapa
Founder & Director, Siddhartha Art Gallery
After I had my bout with Covid, I found it very difficult to concentrate. I had to read my email 20 times to just understand the content. So, I wrote poems (haikus) because there was a format I had to follow and concentrate. I also spent a lot of time in the garden enjoying nature as I felt exhausted all the time. It was then that I had a personal epiphany – that there was no point rushing all the time.
Shivangi Bansal
Gallery Director, Danfe Arts
One tip I would give for preserving mental health is to also look after our physical health, since it’s all connected. So definitely, a workout or a yoga sequence each day has been helpful for me during this time.
Mayenk Khadka
Entrepreneur
Staying home during this lockdown has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me and many. You feel worried and anxious about your loved ones, your finances, and your health, or you may feel bored, frustrated and lonely. Whatever it is, it’s important to remember that it is okay to feel this way. This period of our life is just different and not necessarily a bad one even if you didn’t choose it. You can try to create a new routine that prioritises yourself. For me, having an exercise routine and the time spent with my family has been the best and worked well for my mental health. Just being able to watch movies with the family, cook with my mom, and play with my dog has been a blessing this pandemic. However small the steps are, taking care of your mind and body is really important so make sure to prioritise your health.
Subekshya Khadka
Media Personality
I believe body and mind are always interlinked and in that sense if you are going through mental stress and want to calm your mind then taking good care of your body through various activities will surely help. I have been immensely disciplined about separating an hour of my day to workout and sweating that stress out during the lockdown. I end my workout with ten minutes of mediation which makes a whole lot of difference.
It refreshes me and works like a good therapy to clear my head and focus on the positives of life rather than getting hooked onto social media and worrying too much. Also eating a balanced and healthy diet has helped me feel a lot lighter and good about myself which also has created a whole different mindset.
One can always indulge in activities that bring you joy and give you sanity like reading positive books, just spending time in the terrace before sunset and enjoying it, genuinely making an effort to talk to family members to know what they are feeling and discussing how we can help each other. Lockdown surely has made our lives upside down but trying to see the positives despite the chaos has also been a huge learning for me and most importantly, being grateful for this beautiful life just brings that sense of inner peace.
Dr. Lava Shrestha
Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Physiology, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine
Most of us must have felt some level of mental stress during this pandemic and lockdown. We can practice some simple tips to avoid them in our life. We should spend time with our kids and stay connected with loved ones by phone or video calls. We must share our concerns and worries with someone we trust. Talking to a good friend and listening eases us a lot. We should also eat healthy rather than binge-eat just because we don’t have much to do during lockdown. Try to avoid smoking and alcohol as much as possible. Indulge in some form of physical activity like yoga, zumba, cardio or timed-exercises; lots of motivating videos are available on YouTube. We should only watch selected and trusted sources for news and updates. We should not blindly believe whatever is shown through news portals and social media. They often exaggerate and over-emphasise things to catch public attention. It is absolutely normal to feel scared and stressed in such difficult times. However, maintaining good habits and taking good care of one’s physical as well as mental health is crucial to overcome these obstacles in life.
