By Herbert Zirima The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated measures to contain it have largely led to restrictions on movement and human interaction. As such, the pandemic has undoubtedly affected the “normal” way of living, be it at home, work or social gatherings. This disruption in “normal” life should provide us with an opportunity to explore new possible ways to adapt and survive into the future. We need to boost our mental health in this COVID-19 era so as to minimise the impact of the virus and the “social distancing” in our lives and to develop a healthier and more resilient “new normal” for the present and the future. Let us explore some healthier new normal habits that we can adopt for good mental hygiene to beat COVID-19. Value and empower those around you The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the necessity of having people around us. This has been revealed by the fact the restrictions placed on us in attempting to manage the pandemic have isolated us from those that we love when we really need them such as at funerals and during illnesses. As such, we now need to value, be supportive and responsive to our communities — our families, neighbourhoods, workmates, societies using the available communication lines. Studies have shown that the most effective public health messages in slowing the spread of COVID-19 virus are those that focus on considerations of duty and responsibility to family, friends, and fellow citizens, not just our own personal agenda. It is now critical for us to check on our relatives and friends. We should normalise sending positive messages to our vulnerable family members, we should normalise checking on those that we love every morning. The positive affection that we express to them will most likely help them to survive either the physical illness or the mental fatigue and illness exerted by COVID-19. We have an opportunity before us to establish an even stronger and more resilient global community, one that practises both physical and mental hygiene. Now is the time for individual and collective action to shift to a healthier “new normal” for all. Focus on what you can do In this COVID-19 era, we need to normalise mental health solutions that require little to no technology. It may be necessary for instance to go outside and appreciate nature (as allowed by your national guidelines) at a slower pace and get a daily dose of physical exercise, relaxation and vitamin D. We should strive to put into action most of the things that we plan to do. Practise in these next few weeks to be more mindful and supportive of those around you. We can all learn to be more flexible and accept what we can do with the present rather than what we cannot do. Let us focus on things that we can do and achieve and avoid unnecessarily lowering our self-esteem by focusing on things that we cannot achieve. Be selective on what you mentally process Do not allow yourself to be subjected to too much news about the pandemic especially from unreliable sources. This COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that a lot of informat