This article is brought to you by Virginia Cooper of Learn a Living.
Almost all of us had no warning or time to prepare mentally for the pandemic—particularly for the lockdowns that ensued. This made us frantic and confused, leading to a state of chronic stress for many; it also severely impacted our confidence. Below, we present a few methods to help you get your confidence back as you ease back into society.
Refresh Your Home
After so much time spent in it in the last year or so, redecorating your home to refresh your environment is a great idea at this point in time. While there are simple enough improvements that you can take on like repainting, landscaping, and even simple decluttering, you may have more hefty changes in mind, like a kitchen upgrade, bathroom revamp, and door replacement.
This sounds costly, yes. However, you could do these projects piece by piece as your financial situation allows. For instance, if you have a little extra money, pick up some new hardware for your cabinets. Or, purchase some paint to give your bathroom a fresh coat. Refreshing your home doesn’t have to happen all at once—take it step by step as your budget allows.
Make Slow Changes
Having experienced such dramatic changes and events, the idea of going through any more changes, even those that are more positive like returning to work, can be somewhat daunting. Rather than feeling guilty for no longer enjoying something you found normal in the past, like being in an office with many people or having to go grocery shopping every few days, be kind to yourself, don’t push yourself too much, and allow your mind and heart to get used to the situation slowly.
You can also slowly begin socialising with friends old and new. The pandemic has allowed us to put things into perspective, so reconnecting with old friends may be just the thing you need to get back into the social swing of things.
Tap Into Self-Care
A 2021 report shows that the United States faced a national mental health crisis that could create severe health and social consequences for many years to come. Many of us are also feeling anxious about going back to work or out in society. Again, be kind to yourself and understand that mixed feelings are okay and they make sense.
It’s essential to implement self-care practices into your daily life to ease the transition and improve your mental and physical health. Be sure to make changes at home to keep your environment positive and uplifting. Take several breaks during the day to do breathwork, listen to a short meditation, or take a walk around the block.
Be sure to treat yourself on occasion. This doesn’t mean you have to buy out an entire store, but think about perking yourself up with things you get a lot of use from, like a pair of super-comfortable leggings. Little gifts to yourself can make a big difference.
Sort Out Your Finances
Finances were one of the most prominent stress causes during the pandemic, and it remains an issue now for many people, even as the crisis ends. It’s a great time to find ways to cut down on your spending, learn how to budget, and rethink your financial priorities. As mentioned before, take this process slow. You don’t have to solve all your problems in one day.
The pandemic caused plenty of losses. As a result, you may have lost your confidence, but you can take the above mentioned measures (and more) to feel like yourself again.
This article is brought to you by Virginia Cooper of Learn a Living.
HQ Content writer 