All around us we are reminded about the threat of coronavirus (COVID-19) leading to us feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Alongside this we are also experiencing lots of new stresses like fanatical worries, caring for high-risk people, working from home, homeschooling children and feeling isolated. During these uncertain times, it’s important to focus on your mental wellbeing, use our guide to help you find ways to say positive and to get some anxiety-busting strategies in place.
Focus on the things you can control
Are you feeling overwhelmed? Try to focus on the things you can control and try let go of the things you can’t
Things to Focus on:
- Being positive
- Your own social distancing
- Limiting news and negative social media
- Kindness
- Fun activities you can do at home
- Having extra time to start new hobbies
- Self-care
Things you can’t control – try to put these out of your mind:
- Whether others are following the rules of lockdown and social distancing
- Predicting what will happen next, just focus on today and don’t think too far ahead.
- The number of supplies in the shops
- How long this will last
- How other people are reacting
Ways to look after your Mental Health during Lockdown
1. Have a routine. Go to sleep and wake up at a similar time each day. Write out a timetable and split your day into chunks. This can help you feel in control and make you find time for the things that are important.
2. Print out our Self-Care Tick List, so you have things to aim for each day.
3. Dress for the life you want not the life you have. Put on and an outfit you feel good (& comfortable!) in, treat yourself to a facial or manicure, try a new makeup look and put on your favourite jewellery (view our fabulous range here). How you look can really lift your mood.
4. Go outside. During lockdown, you are allowed out once a day for exercise. Make the most of this time and try to do it everyday, even if it’s raining! Choose places and a time of day that will be quiet and remain a safe distance from everyone else. Exercise increases our mental alertness, energy and positive mood.
5. Have a kitchen Disco. Put on your favourite song and dance like no-one is watching. Music releases dopamine, the feel-good chemical in your brain.
6. Remind yourself that lockdown is temporary. Although this is a difficult time, it will end and we will return to doing all the things we enjoyed before.
7. Connect with others everyday. FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, phone calls and texting are so important to support yourself and those around you. Don’t forget to set up virtual playdates for your children too.
8. Choose a new skill or a topic you’ve always been interested in to learn more about. Try to find something that will make you feel busy and distracted. Research has found self-improvement helps you feel in control of your life.
9. Get creative. Nurture your emotional brain with art – find something you enjoy – sculpting, drawing, dancing, music, singing, anything!
10. Find a reason to smile. Watch cat videos, your favourite comedian to a stand-up show or a silly movie. Laughter really is the best medicine – it strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress.
Take a moment
Try our three quick wellness fixes:
Got one minute?
Focus on breathing…
- Inhale while you count to two
- Exhale while you count to two
- Inhale while you count to two
- Exhale while you count to three
- Inhale while you count to two
- Exhale while you count to four
- Inhale while you count to two
- Exhale while you count to five
Repeat four times and then return to your normal breathing.
How this helps: Increasing oxygen to your brain helps you feel more alert and focussed.
Got five minutes?
Try our mindfulness exercise
- Find a window where there are things to see outside
- Look at everything. Try not to label things, so instead of thinking ‘flower’, focus on colours, textures and patterns
- Pay attention to movement – are the grass or leaves swaying in the wind?
- Look for all the different shapes you can see and focus on these
- If you get distracted start to focus on a colour or shape again.
How this helps: using your senses to be ‘in the moment’ helps to calm down any anxiety
Got 10 minutes?
Start a journal
- Write down all the good things you are doing and how well you are doing them
- Write down three things you are grateful for
Try to do this each day.
How this helps: Anxiety can come from a lack of confidence in your own abilities so reminding yourself of all the things you’ve achieved, no matter how small will help
Further help:
If you have concerns about your mental health please contact your GP
For information from the NHS on dealing with anxiety click here
For information from Mind, the mental Health Charity, click here
To read our Social Distancing Survival Guide click here
