How yoga helped me cope with my OCD through a pandemic

The year 2020 has been full of unprecedented events. It started with nuclear tension, then Australia was burning and, then, came the pandemic.

People all over the world were forced to stay home and deal with their families, their jobs, and — most importantly — themselves, in a confined space. We had to learn how to conjugate our work life with our personal life, whilst dealing with the possibility of getting infected with a mostly unknown virus.

Some people dealt with uncertainty better than others. Actually, some of my friends told me that being allowed to stay home, all day long, playing video games, was kind of a blessing.

For me, it was not. It was a total nightmare.

Having OCD

As someone who has OCD, I feel the urge to control (or at least try to) everything that surrounds me.

Well, that being an impossibility during a pandemic, I panicked. I was almost always on the edge of having a panic attack. I would throw kitchen utensils around the house and shout around the balcony.

I wasn’t afraid of dying. Instead, I was terrified I was going to lose my friends, that they would forget me in a matter of weeks and that I wouldn’t be invited for anything after things started to calm down.

I was afraid of being forsaken.

Coming up with a routine and incorporating yoga

As a freelancer, I was used to getting through the day at a coworking space. I would wake up at nine-ish. Get in my car at ten-ish. Start working at eleven-ish. Drink a cup of tea, smoke one or two cigarettes outside. Do some work, smoke some more. It was a routine that I was able to control. That allowed me to keep in touch with people. It made me feel fulfilled and connected.

Being at home, amidst health crises, didn’t allow me to keep doing the same things. So I needed to come up with a practice that kept me grounded.

I’ve always flirted with the idea of following a “yogi lifestyle”. So I decided to do just that.

Every day, around 7 pm, I would lay down my yoga mat, open my yoga app, and practice for at least 15 minutes. Then 15 minutes became 20. Then 20 became an hour.

The benefits of yoga for mental health

Well, I am not an expert on mental health. I rely heavily on my therapist and (sometimes) psychiatrist to help me overcome my biggest hindrances. But it is a well-known fact that physical exercise helps to improve our mood, by stimulating our dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin receptors.

I am not a fan of running (I’ve tried, I swear) or weightlifting. So I just opted to do something I truly enjoyed. Besides, yoga is a 2 for 1 package, combining movement with stillness and meditation.

It also allowed me to reconnect with a childhood friend: we’d video call each other and do the same yoga with Adrienne video.

My practice gave me, therefore, everything I wished for: joy, insightfulness, and someone to talk to.

How I was able to stick to a daily practice

For two whole months, I practiced yoga everything single day. This is how I was able to stick to it.

1. Just do it

The most difficult part is to get out of bed and press play. When you are to do that, the rest is “smooth sailing”.

2. Pay for an app

Paying an app pushes you to get your money’s worth. If you pay for something, you’ll want to be able to enjoy it.

Besides, most yoga apps are not expensive.

3. Keep track

Realizing my progress made me want to just keep going. It gave me a sense of accomplishment.

Just wait until you can do your first crow pose. Tears will come to the eyes.

4. Invite a Friend

This way, you can push each other to success (meaning: a headstand)

Give it a shot. I promise it is worth the chance.