Totally Free Ways To Care For Your Mental Health

Man, times are weird aren't they? This pandemic is playing with our emotions and staying inside is bumming us out. Some of us have even lost our jobs which is causing us to stress out over money. The kids are home, parents are wearing a ton of different hats and everyone just wants to know one thing: When will this bullshit be over?

So how are you supposed to cope with all of these new stresses and emotional lows? Therapy is awesome and tele-therapy is even more awesome. I highly recommend it. However, therapy can be expensive and these are tight times. You may be looking for something a little more cost effective.

I got you boo. I have gathered up some totally free ideas and resources for you to use to cope with whatever your current mental health situation is.

Get A Hobby

This is something that has personally saved me time and time again. Sometimes you just need to take your mind off of things to refocus and re-balance. I love doing puzzles, coloring and have recently taken up cross stitching. Even running this blog is a nice hobby to have. You need something that you can turn to when you need to get out of your head. When you are engaging in your hobby, you get to escape your negative thoughts to focus on something positive for a little while. Any amount of time spent doing something you love is time well spent and can really change your whole mood.

Take Breaks From The Media

Getting accurate and timely information is so important right now. However, too much exposure to media coverage can increase your negative feelings like fear and anxiety. Try to balance out your media consumption equally between the news and other things you like to watch, read or listen to. Preferably things that do not involve the coronavirus pandemic. As for the media you do consume, please try to stick to credible sources and steer clear of the sensationalized media outlets. These biased, and often ill-informed news sources can seriously undermine your emotional well-being.

Get Physical

You have probably heard a million times that physical health and mental health go hand and hand with each other. Taking care of your physical health with be beneficial for your mental health. There are so many great fitness apps out there right now and many of them are offering extended free trials since we are all quarantined. My husband just started using the Peleton app which offered a 90-day free trial. I use Fitbit Premium which includes access to the content on their Fitbit Coach app. Like the Peleton app, Fitbit offered a 90-day free trial of their premium service. Youtube is another great free resource for fitness. Go ahead and search for anything. You can find it on Youtube. My favorite Youtube channel for fitness is Yoga With Adriene. This channel offers tons of free yoga videos that are hosted by the delightful Adriene Mishler. There is something for beginners, expert yogis and everyone in between. She even does a free monthly yoga calendar that is based around a theme. It makes creating a yoga schedule super easy.

Reach Out

Reach out often to family and friends who are healthy and positive forces in your life. There are so many ways to connect these days like FaceTime, Zoom and Google Hangouts. The first few times I talked to others virtually, I was shocked at how great it was to see someone's face, interact and just be with someone else. It's really uplifting. So schedule a virtual happy hour, chose video options for work meetings and FaceTime your mom. You will be glad you did.

Relax With An App

There are countless mindfulness apps out there just waiting for you to discover them. And like the fitness apps, many are offering extended free trials while we are stuck inside. My favorite mindfulness app, Insight Timer, is mostly free but does offer a premium membership. However, the free content is so extensive I have never felt like I needed to join premium. There are literally thousands of great guided meditations, binaural beats tracks, drumming music and so much more. I have been using this app daily for years and have always found something new and fresh to listen to.

Free Online Resources

So many organizations and companies are offering great, free mental health resources on their websites. Here are just a few:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a guide for managing anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness is offering a longer guide that contains links to online support communities and emotional support hotlines, Information that can help those without insurance or a regular doctor can also be found in the guide along with resources for those who have lost a loved one due to the coronavirus.
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network has a guide for parents and caregivers with ways to cope with our current situation. 

My last bit of advice is to be kind to yourself during these difficult times. Practice self-care as often as possible, don't beat yourself up if you aren't being super productive, and know that eventually this too shall pass. Oh, and take a shower, put on actual clothes and do your hair and makeup every now and then. It's an instant mood booster, trust me.

Hang tight friends. The light at the end of the tunnel will emerge soon enough. Do you have a favorite free mental health resource? Please share by leaving a comment here, on Instagram or Twitter.