Positive Health Online

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has not been kind to anyone. Externally, we are maintaining social distancing norms and stay-at-home orders, but internally, we are absorbed with feelings of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety of getting affected by the virus.

As different states and countries alternate between complete and partial lockdowns, people are stuck consistently worrying about their chances of returning home with the virus. Besides following sanitation and safety protocols, people should also practise meditation and mindfulness. This can help you sail through this situation as well as contributing to your personal wellness.

Ram Duriseti MD PhD

Ram Duriseti suggests practising Meditation And Mindfulness

According to New York University researchers, meditating every day for fifteen minutes for eight weeks can lower chronic fatigue, reduce anxiety, and also balance mood swings. It can improve cognizance capacity and lower blood pressure levels as well. Ram Duriseti shares the following ways to practise mindfulness and meditation.

1.  Meditate during the evening or before going to sleep

If you are new to meditation, make sure to meditate in the evening or before going to sleep. Beginners may feel sleepy or lethargic after mediating early in the morning. This is a result from a lack of practice. If you have developed a habit of thinking about your daily tasks first thing in the morning, shifting your mind to sit for meditation instead could seem like a lot of work and make you mentally fatigued. Therefore, it's best to practise in the evening after your work and household errands are complete. Meditating five to ten minutes before sleeping, helps you to sleep sound and improve your health.

2. Learn to choose your thoughts through affirmations

People are prone to getting caught up in deliberate panic thinking during a crisis. They don't seem to have control over their thoughts. Some people even get to the extent of visualizing negative scenarios, putting them in a state of constantly being scared. This increases blood pressure levels and can lead to hormonal imbalance. Mindfulness can help the situation at hand. Practicing affirmations, such as "I am in good health" or "I am safe," can give the mind reason to feel better and tame negative thinking. It's a wise decision to practise affirmations after meditation. Meditation calms an over-thinking mind and makes you more receptive towards positive suggestions and thoughts. Repeated positive affirmations can train your brain to think in a positive, specific way, helping you to feel better.

3. Write down your worries

During a panic attack, logic takes the backseat. Many people can find themselves scared and tense without analyzing whether the situation at hand is actually dangerous or not. Hence, it's a good practice to write your fears and worries in a paper. Once you write down the current situation, your brain can then process it better and focus on the solution instead of endlessly worrying. Journaling can also help you become mindful of your thoughts and channelize your thinking and energy positively.

The pandemic outbreak has caused many deaths and isn’t slowing down any time soon. Keeping a calm mind is challenging during such a tense time, but following the simple steps mentioned above, you can improve your mental and physical wellbeing.