Editor's 5 tips to cope with an even worse year

Is it me or was the promise of a better 2021 a true fluke? I mean there we were at the end of 2020 looking forward to a better new year, making plans on the basis of eased lockdown levels and improved curfews.

Yet here we are smack in the middle of level 4 lockdown and depressed.

I know I am not alone in this sinking feeling of depression so I have put together these coping tips that I hope will help you as they are helping me.

Afterall it's a work in progress and at your own pace you will make it.

1. Challenge unhelpful thoughts

First thing’s first learn to nail negative thoughts or they will be the cause of your downfall.

It's natural to feel worried every now and again, but our anxious thoughts can sometimes be unhelpful.

If you can learn to identify and separate unhelpful thoughts from helpful ones, you can find a different way to look at the situation. Watch our video to find out more.

2. Be creative

Use this time to explore your creativity and live in the moment. Hard as it maybe to be in the moment this is exactly the time to appreciate the present as it is. We have lost friends and family members we owe it to them to be in the moment.

3. Exercise

Keeping fit in the darkest time of our lifetime seems counter intuitive, right. But it tells the mind the body and the soul that there is hope yet. Put in 5 minutes of exercise daily. Energies are depleted these days, there is a lot to do even in quarantine, so 5 minutes might just be the trick.

4. Tell someone how you feel

There is a reason you have a sister who calls you and spends 40 minutes on the call. Take the call and use it to tell someone how you feel, there is absolutely no need to say you are fine when you are not. We are in a pandemic.

5. Pray

Not the in my head kind of prayer. Do the real deal prayer, talk to God and allow Him to talk to you.

No matter how dark it seems, be the light. We can only conquer darkness by bringing in the light.