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During this time of uncertainty, most of us will be spending an exceptional amount of time indoors, which is perhaps way more than we’re used to. Many will be finding this a stressful time and if you find yourself being challenged mentally, don’t worry, you are not alone. If we were to take a positive from this COVID-19 pandemic, it would be how the whole nation has come together in order to uplift one another. This has inspired our latest blog; 5 tips to keeping a healthy mind and body.
1. Keep active
We understand that space may be limited and equipment may be hard to come by, but with various tips and videos online, keeping active is definitely achievable. If you know of any trainers or specific workouts, stick with them but if you’re looking for some inspiration, Joe Wicks has an abundance of home workouts on his YouTube channel, which are great whether you are a beginner or expert: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ. Alternatively, if this isn’t your thing, take the governments advice to get out for your daily exercise, a 30 min walk each day will help maintain some general fitness. Remember to adhere to the social distancing rules. Not only is keeping active good for you physically, it is also very beneficial for your mental health and general wellbeing.
2. Stay connected
This time has given us a chance to reflect and not take for granted the little things that are important to us, like spending time with our family and friends. Lots of us are missing our loved ones but it won’t be long until we can see and spend time with them once again. Now we might not be able to visit other people’s houses, but there are ways we can get around this obstacle. In this age of the internet, there are many ways to stay connected with family and friends online. Video calling or just ringing, can be a great way to speak to one another and once you do, it can automatically make you feel more positive and mentally strong. There are many Apps and programmes that allow you to video call, try WhatsApp, Facetime, Facebook, Zoom, Skype and many more.
3. Get into a routine
Many of us may be working from home, but others may have been placed on furlough or have found themselves without a job during this time. At this moment, it’s become easy and somewhat ordinary to go to sleep at silly o’clock and wake up halfway through the day. For the night owls amongst us who find they are more productive at night, then that may be the best time for you to focus on work tasks which don’t involve communicating with colleagues. For others (including myself) who don’t operate well this way, try and find some sort of routine. The first thing to improve would be your sleeping pattern making sure you have an idea of the time you are going to go to bed and get up each day. Your routine can be very simple, try making lists of things you have always wanted to do or learn and then space them out in order to feel more productive. The connection between having a routine and positive mental health has been outlined by many scientific studies.
4. Meditate
Meditation has increased in popularity over the years, and rightly so. Meditation is a process of training your mind to focus on a particular object, thought or activity in order to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. This practice is used to develop beneficial habits and feelings, as well as enabling a positive mood and outlook on life. Some of you may have never tried meditation, but don’t let that put you off, there are brilliant resources out there to help you learn and get started. Try www.headspace.com where you can find a number of different practices to help you.
5. Eat well
As we spend more time at home, the snack cupboard seems to be getting extra attention. Now you don’t have to cut out absolutely everything, but a well-balanced diet with plenty of nutritious foods is more important than you think. A well balanced diet has been known to improve your mental state and help with other aspects that relate to a healthy mind, such as sleep. As well as helping you mentally, a healthy diet will help reduce your risk of developing diseases. If you don’t know much about diet, and the right foods to fuel your body with, there are some really brilliant books and articles out there, including this guide from the NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/. As long as you are aware of what you are fueling your body with, drink plenty of water and try to include fruit and vegetables, you are on the right track. Everything in moderation!
This time will give us a chance to reflect and understand what’s important to us. However, it’s important we don’t forget about ourselves and our mental state. Not everything has to be negative and we must find positives that can be taken from this situation. Try to find ways to better yourself so that you are ready to accomplish great things when this is all over.