The last weeks have been full of twists, primarily in the negative sense. How to deal with restrictions and changes and get out of the situation stronger than before? Here are some suggestions on mental hygiene in times of stress and lots of tips on how to have fun at home.
Scientific studies on stress and mental hygiene point out that the stressful period, as we are currently experiencing, has many consequences for the human body. How not to go crazy and get stronger?
Here we summarize some of the discovery from the study Mental Hygiene by PhDr. Stanislav Pelcák, Ph.D.
Let's take a look at tips on what to do at home and how to have fun.
“Although crisis life situations are potentially risk factors for the emergence and development of health disorders, overcoming and solving them strengthens the individual's personality and accelerates the maturation process (Vymetal, 2003). Managing stressful situations involves trying to directly change threatening conditions or trying to change the assessment of these conditions.”
What does this mean in practice? In order not to go mad, it is necessary to take practical steps and above all not to collapse. This is only a temporary condition. Soon there will be a time when we will be able to function normally again, and that is always the point. Our whole mindset should be reoriented from “everything is wrong, oh God, what do I do” to “it will be good again soon, I can do it”.
Experts agree on several factors whose observance has a positive effect on individuals under psychological stress.
Now that you only spend moments at home, you have time and space to try meals and recipes that you may not have had before. Be careful. Put your fruits and vegetables according to the season. Your body will surely return it to you.
April seasonal food:
May seasonal food:
June seasonal food:
Sleep for the soul. Who hasn't slept enough so far, homeoffice will certainly allow you make it up. Sleep well so you have a lot of energy for spring. Good sleep is individual, check here:
| Newborns | 0-3 months | 14-17 hours every day |
| Infants | 4-11 months | 12–15 hours |
| Toddlers | 1–2 years | 11–14 hours |
| Preschoolers | 3-5 years | 10-13 hours |
| School age children | 6-13 years | 9-11 hours |
| Teenagers | 14-17 years | 8-10 hours |
| Younger adulsts | 18-25 years | 7-9 hours |
| Adults | 26–64 years | 7–9 hours |
| Older adults | age 65+ | 7-8 hours |
All functions of the human body are closely related to movement. Vondruska and Bartak (1999) summarized the positive benefits of regular physical activity as follows: stimulating and producing endorphins in the brain (good mood, better pain tolerance), increasing mental potential, relieving muscle tension and eliminating negative emotions, adjusting the biochemical values of fats in the blood , prevention of calcium loss from bones, strengthening of ligaments and muscles and last but not least slowing down of the aging process.
It is recommended 30 min of physical activity a day at least 5 times a week. Begin gently before embarking on a challenging workout. You do not need almost any tools for yoga, with a mat, towel or rug. I recommend channel Yoga With Adriene, you can start with 10 minutes warm up Wake Up Yoga. Believe that children like to get involved!
On Facebook you will also find a variety of live streams that will motivate you to practice like in the studio.
Here are some tips on how to maintain your motivation for regular exercise:
One of the principles of mental hygiene is to disperse from stress factors. Performing activities that entertain and engage the mind leads to an increased sense of competence to influence the course of events. Have everything called firmly in your hands. This gives us a sense of security and calm.
To distract:
Are you the whole family at home? Do not underestimate the good old proven board games. Memory game can also be a good training. Chess has been played for centuries. But there are also new logical and fun games for the whole group or family, such as Ubongo or Kapla.
