If we thought the COVID-19 pandemic was going to take us out, being Black in America just turned it up a notch. Not that racial discrimination ever went away, but now we can't swipe down our timelines without seeing a black life lost or a "Karen" complaining. Coronavirus has taken so many lives over the past four months, we're supposed to be social distancing, and yet police brutality doesn't take a break.
Being black in this country is and has always been exhausting but 2020 has taken the cake. Seeing multiple people lose their lives so publically has really been weighing on my mental health and causing me to have anxiety. Going outside to work out feels different, going to the grocery store feels different, and even going to sleep laying in my bed feels different. It's really sad. All of the pressure from the outside world has started to close in on me. I've been feeling super overwhelmed and lots of anxiety. The circumstances have forced me to get creative and finding ways to decompress and gain back my sanity. If you can relate, here are some ways to gain your sanity back while the world is in chaos.
Take a social media detox.
Taking a social media break is the number one thing that made me regain my peace. The first week the video of George Floyd floated around social media is when I had to take my social media break. It was everywhere and I couldn't escape it on top of working in digital media every day. On the weekend I decided to get delete all of my social media apps and just break free of the digital world. If you're like me, then you scroll the holy grail of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and they had to go. I was mentally drained of seeing people share triggering videos, retweeting depressing threads, and screaming about what the community should be doing. Deleting social media made me feel so free and detached which is exactly what I needed. Sometimes you just need a mental break to not think about anything or have information shoved down your throat. I've never been the person to need a social media detox because I didn't believe it would help anything but trust me, it did. It cleared my mind and helped restore my mental.
Change your scenery.
If you can, get away...but safely. I don't know about everybody else but I have been social distancing since March. I have been in the house for an entire month before even going to the grocery store, me and my family were not playing. So by time May came, I was going insane! To get away, I decided to go on a trip to visit my sister four hours away. I seriously hate road trips but doing that drive really made me feel alive. This was also the same weekend I deleted my social media so the drive was very therapeutic. Going to my sister's house for a week really made me feel like I was on vacation. Just being in a different environment made me feel more inspired. In my house, I started to feel cramped and super irritated so the getaway was so needed.
Schedule fun things.
Since quarantine has stripped my hot girl summer away, I've been trying to find ways to have fun in the house! The trick is to plan it in advance so it feels exciting! Some examples for you to think about are planning a spa day, playing dress-up and doing a photo shoot, and trying some new recipes. I've done all three. Any idea I think about doing, I make it a day activity so that way I don't go insane from being inside. My favorite activity definitely had to be when I tie-dyed a bunch of shirts with my sister. I've done everything from zoom parties, date nights with my boyfriend, and even alone time with myself. Whatever it is you want to do, plan it in advance to build excitement, and go for it!
Plan some alone time.
Alone time is super important and if you live in a house with other people, alone time is necessary. When I say alone time, that means ditch the text conversations and FaceTimes as well. Spend some time to love yourself and pour back into your own energy. One of my go-to ways to spend alone time is to of course journal with low light, a diffuser, and either a candle or an incense just because I love the burning smell. Aromatherapy has my number one way to refill my cup because I feel so good! When I spend time alone, I feel so rejuvenated from the outside world. Do whatever is your favorite thing to do that you know will put you in a good mood. You deserve.
With everything going on, it's super important to control your mental health. It's not always important to take in everything you see on the news or social media, so take time to step away. You are the most important person in your life so decompress and do what you have to do to stay sane. Your life depends on it. I hope you find something I said that works for you and also leave some tips in the comment as well!
The Journal Entry:
How can I add happiness to my daily life?
xoxo posse out,
India Monee'
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