Dear students and staff of mLAC
COVID-19 has altered many facets of life for all of us in recent weeks. These changes can
result in stress, nervousness, fear or anxiety. As your college counselor I have put together
some points that you could use to take e care of your mental health and well-being in these
troubled times of this pandemic.
8 TIPS FOR SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH DURING COVID-19
Here are some 8 tips to keep you mentally and emotionally well during this lockdown period
1. Create and maintain routine. Schedule your time, take breaks, maintain a routine sleep
schedule, and consider writing out your schedule then sharing with a friend or family
member to increase accountability
2. Engage in mindful awareness practices. When we experience stress, we may find our
minds “running,” often with unhelpful thoughts or take us into those unproductive places.
Make a firm plan to practice mindfulness or simple meditative practice. I have here
below given a simple one that you can use. Practice meditation. Sit quietly and allow
the body to breathe deeply (full inhale in, full exhale out), then gently invite your mind to
focus on the present moment as you sit and breathe. Invite your mind back kindly as
many times as needed. Repeat the practice daily for 10 to 15 minutes or more. Start with
a five minute sit down and gradually increase it to 10-15 minutes.
3. Maintain exercise and physical activity. You can follow Zumba on YouTube, or other
free fitness apps. Do spot marching in your room or walk/skip on your terrace. Any
method is okay but exercise is a must.
4. Balance nutrition. Staying at home, the greatest temptation is to eat between meals,
mainly snacking. Do eat your favourite snacks but have self-control and balance it with
nutritional foods. Good nutrition supports your immune system.
5. Set boundaries for social media consumption. Stay informed but set appropriate
limits; don’t keep forwarding all the posts that come on your WhatsApp and other chat
services. Read and watch news but limited times.
6. Social distance, but connect emotionally. Use Facetime, simple audio calls and other
tools to reach out to friends and family, and schedule times to connect with them. Spend
a lot of time with family. Play games, talk to your family members, share your concerns,
your dreams. Maintain, physical distance but connect emotionally.
7. Continue nurturing your well-being. Reach out for mental health support when
needed. I have already sent out information on my availability to all of you on telephone.
Start writing a diary and note down all your thoughts.
8. Find ways to stay accountable. Share your wellness plan with a friend or family
member who can help.
If you can follow all this you will be doing a great favor to yourself. Remember that we are all
collectively going through difficult times. Remember you are not alone in this. You can choose
to work on your emotional wellness and come out just fine. Lastly remember “THIS TOO
SHALL PASS”
With much love to all of you
Your counselor Asha
Be open to Hope