Mental Health During Quarantine

Yes, that picture above is of me. No filter, eyebrows a mess, and is that a speck of blanket fuzz on my head? Most likely. 

We have all been having a hard time lately. Whether it be your kids driving you nuts during the lock-down or being an essential employee that doesn't get a break, everyone is going through their own thing. 

A lot of friends have been texting me or I've been seeing them on social media about how sad they've become. Bad mental health is at an all time high right now. Even though we're having enough time to focus on ourselves, a lot of people aren't doing it. They're anxious. They're feeling trapped. It's just not a good scene in the mental health community right now. 

Which is why I'm making this post. I'm not a doctor and a lot of people expect me to be. I can't fulfill that roll for you. What I CAN do though is give advice for things that I've been through, what I've been feeling, and what is helping me. 

I hope this post can give you some hope during this pandemic. I've done some research and put things together for you guys. Mental health is always just as important as your physical health and I think people are seeing that more now than ever!!

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Self Care During Quarantine 

Yes, self care is more than face masks. Here's some of my favorite things to do (and some things I want to do...) to keep you busy and keep your mind going a bit!

-Get dressed up (and then take cute pictures of your outfits!)

-Exercise. Take a walk outside or do an at-home YouTube workout! My friend Melissa has some workout videos on her Instagram for inspiration and this one is my favorite: X

-Give yourself a break from the news. I haven't watched TV in a week. I still get my news from Facebook usually but Twitter has also been SO negative recently so I usually just scroll on by.

- Try a new recipe. I made Crispy Baked Artichoke Hearts from this recipe here: X. Let me tell you, AMAZING!! Shout out to Natalia for the vegan blog recommendation! Now, here's a recipe that my friend Claudia wrote out that I'm DYING to make:
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Low Carb/Keto/Fat-Head Dough Pizza

Ingredients:

 Dough:

·         ¾ cup almond flour

·         1 egg

·         2 oz. cream cheese

·         2 cups mozzarella cheese

·         1 tsp salt

·         1 tsp pepper

·         1 tsp Italian season (can add more/other seasoning to your desire)

                

Toppings:

·         Mozzarella cheese (or cheese blend) (amount is to your liking)

·         Low-carb sauce (I typically use Rao’s, but it can be expensive. I found Paesana Vodka Sauce actually have 1 less carb. I usually just read the labels at the store and get the cheapest low carb lol) (again, amount to your liking – usually ½ cup-ish)

·         Any other toppings (pepperoni, other cheese, veggies (careful some can be high carb)

·         Walmart also sells “sugar free” (brand is G Hughes) sauces like barbeques and hickory and honey mustard. Sometimes I’ll do a BBQ chicken pizza instead of tomato sauce, but I use the dough recipe. The more familiar you get with it, the more you can tweak your dough and toppings to your liking.

Instructions:

1.       Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2.       In microwave safe bowl, add 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and 2 ounces of cream cheese.

3.       Microwave for 1 minute. Mix.

4.       Microwave for 30 seconds. Mix.

5.       Let cheese cool down before adding more (you don’t want to cook the egg)

6.       Add egg, seasonings, and almond flour.

7.       Mix well. Note that it may not be completely consistent or like one smooth dough (that’s normal, just do your best)

8.       Either on parchment paper or I use silicone baking mats, put a thin layer of olive oil (or any oil) so the dough doesn’t stick.

9.       Flatten out dough on paper or mat. I usually put some oil on my hands or also use rubber gloves when pushing the dough out (I hate the texture and the mess).

10.   Once dough is flat (to the thickness of your liking, but not too thin because it will rip when you flip it), place in over for 10 minutes.

11.   After 10 minutes (give or take depending on how you like it), flip the dough.

12.   Bake for 5 more minutes (give or take).

13.   Take dough out of over and add toppings.

14.   Place back in over for about 5 minutes (I eyeball the pizza until it looks good).

15.   Take out pizza when it looks good and let it sit for about 5 minutes for the cheese to cool. This is important because the dough is also cheese and it may slide/fall apart when you try to cut it if it’s too melty.

16.   Enjoy 😊

Makes roughly 3-4 servings (8-ish slices, slices/serving)

Dough (roughly): Calories: 300, Total Carbohydrates: 6g, Fiber: 2g, Net Carbohydrates: 4g, Total Fat: 24g, Protein: 18g

(toppings add to nutrition facts)

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-Read a good book (Not to brag but you can follow my book blog here: X. I do have to say though, don't read The Wife Between Us. A bestseller apparently, but I have no idea how). 

Instagram Accounts to Cheer You Up (or At Least Gives You Nice Pictures to Look At)

- Lwuce . Lucy is beautiful and talented and an all around caring soul. I have been obsessed with her art and outfits since day one. I think my first DM to her was something like "do you go to art school? Because you should." Her pictures always make me happy!

-Girlboss- If you're down and out about your job, your side hustle not going well, or your creative mind not thriving, Girlboss is for you. I am constantly inspired by their posts. ALSO! Sign up for their email list because right now they're sending out amazing emails that have gotten my brain juices FLOWING!

- Jade Louise Pye - Not to brag, but I know her. No big deal. BUT just because I call her a friend, doesn't mean she has a great Instagram. Well, thank God she DOES. Jade is a beautiful person (and is always there to listen to me rant about life) and her pictures on Instagram are gorgeous to look at. Whether it be a selfie of her and whatever she's doing at the moment, I'm always think to myself "she takes the best picture angles...."

-Mavis Slade- Can I stop being friends with cool people? Apparently not...Mavis is one of my favorite people on this Earth. If I had a million and one dollars, I would give it to her because when she thrives, I thrive for her. Her Instagram is so aesthetically pleasing that I'm 100% in awe of it all the time. It's like a pink hue with a bit of purple and a dash of blue sometimes? You should just check it out.

How to Be Outgoing Via the Internet 

Zoom- I have had 3 morning coffee dates and about 3 wine nights via the Zoom app. I have never used it on my computer but apparently it's a lot more fun that way? But I use my phone and it has connected me to friends in times when I need them the most. For the free version, you can only talk for 40 minutes, so you can always use FaceTime to talk to people who are close friends.

Live- Instagram Live is VERY popular right now. What Instagram Live is, is where you can make a live video for your followers on Instagram to watch you. I did it once and talked about mental health and it was SO much fun! Miley Cyrus and other celebrities are using Instagram Live as a "talk show" platform, too, which is cool. Facebook Live is also an option. I feel like it's used by older adults a lot more than younger ones, but it's still a live video and can reach many people!

Phone Call- I literally called my friend Nicole and ranted to her about my life the other day. Just a simple phone call. She reached out, I reached back. As easy as that! Check in with people. Schedule phone calls to get things off your chest. It's nice, trust me. 

When You're Feeling Alone

Call4Calm- My state of Illinois in the United States just started something called Call4Calm: a free emotional support text line, for Illinois residents experiencing stress and mental health issues related to COVID-19. 

For this text line, here's some more information:

"Individuals who would like to speak with a mental health professional can text “TALK"— or for Spanish, “HABLAR"—to 552020. Individuals will remain anonymous, and within 24 hours they will receive a call from a counselor employed by a local community mental health center to provide support.

Individuals can also text the number, using key words such as “unemployment," “food," or "shelter" and will receive information on how navigate and access support and services"

Crisis Text Line- I used to volunteer for this text line and they are ready and willing to take your texts. Please text "HOME" to 741741 if you are feeling isolated, stressed, sad, anything you'd like help with. But remember, these people are there to HELP you. If you do not accept things they are trying to help you with, this is not the text line for you.

NAMI- The National Alliance on Mental Illness has helped friends of mine AND ME. They are sending emails on how to help yourself during this time (so make sure you sign up on their webpage!) but you can also read things on their site to make you feel more at peace right now. They have a linked page to The Guardian article that I enjoy that sets my mind a little more at ease. Click here for the article: X

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If you liked this post and would like to see another one like it, I would love to write one! I always have ideas roaming around my head! I hope everyone is staying SAFE and staying 6 FEET AWAY! I don't care if you're at Target, 6 FEET PEOPLE!