Taking care of our mental health

With the extended Circuit Breaker and the announcement of the reopening phases, it’s not surprising that many of us are starting to experience ‘Cabin Fever’.

The term is mostly associated with terrible weather (think snow storms) which is why most of us are not really familiar with it. Cabin fever refers to the feeling of restlessness, going ‘stir crazy’ and feeling unmotivated and hopeless.

Cabin fever is something that you can work on fortunately, and it’s not a lost cause. Keep your mind stimulated, your body active and listen to your soul. Routines are important in helping to keep cabin fever at bay, and staying in contact with loved ones and talking through challenges can help. Our tip would be to name something that you’re grateful for each day, and reframe the situation in our heads to strengthen our minds.

Take our mind off the virus and focus on creating happy moments in our life to calm our nerves. Whether it’s a book, movie, gardening, writing or even planning your next holiday, there are always things for us to look forward to in life. Browse our list of merchants on the Atome app, and get the things you love today, and pay later with Atome to split your bill into three.

Don’t be hard on yourself if you’re feeling unmotivated, instead allow yourself to identify this emotion and remind yourself that it’s okay to have good and bad days. If you’re constantly feeling that you’re unable to concentrate, seek help from a professional mental health practitioner.

Gardening has been proven to help uplift our mood. Watching your plants grow and blossom creates a sense of achievement, and it teaches us to look after and respect other living things. It forces us to look beyond ourselves and reminds us to be more mindful, which helps to alleviate stress by reminding us to live in the present moment and not focus too much on the uncertainty of the future. If you’re new to gardening, we’d recommend starting with sunflowers. These bright and cheery plants are known tor their vibrant sun-like appearance. They’re relatively easy to grow, and they’re perfect for Singapore’s sunny weather, as you guess it, they thrive in the sun.

Create a small indoor garden with this adorable moss kokebiyori that allows you to cultivate your own little mediation area. The beauty of moss creates a sense of peace and relaxation for the mind. Set aside time to appreciate the beauty of nature and concentrate on the contrasting colour of the mini garden.

It’s no secret that exercise helps to boost our mood and energy. But while we’re staying home, it’s good to stretch and do some yoga (especially if we’re sitting down the whole day). Our bodies are tense and yoga can help alleviate some tension and relieve any tightness in our body. Exercise can also burn off the extra energy that we’ve accumulated from being home all day.

Letters to My … dad, daughter, friend, grandparent, mom, sister, son, or even to myself is a great way to help us focus on the positives, even though it might seem hard to do. This makes the ideal gift as it allows us to write our feelings to someone we hold dear, in 12 letters to be opened in the future. As we spend time apart from each other, we’ve come to realise the important roles that people play in our lives. Communication over our phones are so easy (and important), and these quick communication tools are great, especially during a time like this. But there’s something magical about hand-written letters – seeing someone’s handwriting, knowing the time and effort that it takes to write a letter, and the fact that it’s tangible, you get to hold on to it for years to come and reminisce after a long time. Plus, writing letters can be really therapeutic, as you get to “talk” and communicate all the things you’re feeling.

We love this elegant, bright journal to help remind us of the things to be grateful for each day. Writing in a journal can ground us in the moment, allowing us to be introspective and mindful of our thoughts and feelings. Daily entries are small, but it allows us to connect and sort through our mental clutter, and help us identify future goals. It also provides a great tool for us to look back and reflect on the past year (even though this year is crazy). Name something you’re grateful each day, and watch your mindset shift to a more positive one. Capture the moment now, and look back on this day in 2025 and see how much you’ve grown and changed.

Life is an adventure, and the earth is filled with wonders. We will definitely travel again, so why not start planning your next big trip. With time and energy on your side, look towards the future and create a bucket list of all the places that you want to go with this re-writable map. You can cross of all the things that you’ve done, and list all the things you’re going to do and places you’re going to explore.

As we all stay home and stay safe, while it’s important to look after our physical health, we have to look after our mental health too. Keep your mind active, eat and sleep well, and don’t beat yourself up by thinking that you have to be feel/act a certain way. Everyone copes with situations differently, and while not everyone likes staying at home, we have to accept the situation to combat the virus. Reframe the scenario in our head and remind ourselves that we’re not stuck at home, but we’re safe at home.

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