Tips for Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19

Hello all of my beautiful queer Christians!

We are in unprecedented times and coping with our mental health seems eerily absent from the conversation. As a population who normally has highest incidences of depression, anxiety and suicidal episodes we are at higher risks during this time of social isolation.

First thing first, it is okay to reject the notion that staying home is only a "minor inconvenience" if you are someone who requires physical interactions to maintain healthy mental and emotional states.

While it is okay to reject the trivializing of the sacrifice we are all making to protect each other we cannot stay there. We need to move into being intentional about creating healthy routines and alternatives to social interactions.

Personally, I've been full time providing online sexuality coaching for Christians for the past 9 months and spend most of my time alone, so I've learned a few tricks to keep my mental state positive and healthy while being self-isolated.

Here's a few quick tips to keep your mental health peaceful, positive and hopeful:

• Maintain a regular hygiene routine. For example, take daily showers, brush your teeth, wash your face, etc.

• Take regular breaks during the day to entertain yourself for at least 30 minutes. That could include watching a comedy show, reading a new fiction book. scrolling on social media or taking a nap.

• Start your day with prayer or meditation to ground you and give you perspective of your day. This really helps me to not throw myself into the day and get swallowed up by what is going on around me.

• Do something creative in the beginning of your day. Do not start your day with the "to-do" list. For example, learning something new, DIY project, doing your makeup (even if its just blush, lipstick and mascara), doing your hair in a new way or graphic designing for fun.

• Work on something that is for your future. This could be planning a future trip, researching personal finance strategies, learn a new language to a country God is calling you to (this one is personal--go to my Instagram page and find out which language I'm currently learning),

Okay I hope those were helpful for you. I'm inviting you to join me live daily on Instagram for Queer Christian Conversations. This week we'll be discussing other important tools to help you maintain control of your mental health during the coronavirus pandemic.