Calm During the Storm

They say numbers never lie!

By now we’ve all seen or heard a ton of scary statistics about mental health during COVID due to a myriad of concerns — anxiety, depression, grief, and isolation to name a few. Mental health is such a concern that even a major brand such as Jansport dedicated an entire campaign to address the issue, which they call #LightenTheLoad. And Kenneth Cole formed a group labeled the Mental Health Coalition to work toward destigmatizing mental health conditions.

So, mental health definitely deserves our full attention. But what have you done to guard against the various forms of mental health? How are you keeping both your mind and your spirit strong?

For me, it’s been meditation.

Meditation, in general, is believed to be such a shield against mental health concerns that another popular brand, Lululemon, created Peace on Purpose, a collection of meditation tools. The toolkit includes workshops hosted by mindfulness leaders designed to help cope with anxiety, burnout, grief, and more — all of which may be exacerbated amidst COVID.

As for my meditation go-to, I highly recommend an app called Calm. To be clear, I didn’t adopt this habit because of coronavirus. Calm has been my sanctuary before the pandemic, as well as during. It sharpened my mind prior to each busy workday. It offered me tranquility to spend more harmonious occasions with my family. It also helped elevate my confidence and peace of mind to try new things ... like blogs, for instance.

Though what I value now is not how it’s helped me; rather what I pray it can do for you.

I ask, could you benefit by gaining an understanding of how to better love yourself, or better love the one you’re with? If so, then Calm can help. You’ll find mindfulness features on both self-care and loving relationships to balance you mentally and emotionally.

Struggling to get a full, restful night? Journey into the Calm sleep suite. There you will find stories from the Islands of Lofoten all the way to the Trails of Machu Picchu, and everything in-between. Or drift away to the relaxing sounds of nature or an eclectic mix of bedtime melodies.

It’s also perfect for when you need to get your mind right ... on the job, in the gym, or any other activity that requires a heavy focus. Be it content to train the mind or resources to deepen your concentration, Calm reinforces positive thoughts we all need to keep a healthy, secure mental state — that goes for today’s crazy reality or tomorrow’s unknown.

Regardless of where you choose to find your inner peace - whether it’s Calm, some other platform, or offline entirely - be sure to nurture your mental health. It’s equally as important as the food we eat, the amount of water we drink, the exercise we get, or a soothing night’s sleep.

Just think of it as your umbrella when it storms.