Taking care of your mind and your body is really important during lockdown
We have put together a few tips to help you keep on top of your mental wellbeing and cope with how you may feel while staying at home or in isolation.
1. Practice self-care and mindfulness
Whether you are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed take a step back and think about what relaxes you – for instance meditating, exercising, listening to music or reading a book. The NHS also has useful tips on mindfulness techniques and videos on how to practice mindful breathing.
2. Connect and keep in touch with others
Don’t isolate yourself and connect with friends, family or loved ones. Arrange a video or phone call to check in with them.
3. Talk about your worries
Everyone is feeling anxious in these strange times. It is okay to talk about your worries with people that you trust – and you might also be helping them if you do. If you cannot speak to someone you know or if doing so has not helped, you can reach out to FORWARD’s support team. You can also check the list of mental health helplines available on the NHS website to select the service that best fit your needs.
4. Establish a healthy routine
Ensure that you maintain eating at regular times and getting enough sleep. This structure can change now that you are working or staying at home so take this as an opportunity to create a new routine where you can spend more time doing things you were unable to do before.
5. Keep active and take breaks
It is very important to keep active! Take the time to clean your home, dance to music, watch online workouts and stretches or even try work standing up. See some examples of home workout.
6. Get sunlight and fresh air
Try to get as much sunlight and fresh air as you can whether in your garden, balcony or patio or even on your daily outdoor walk or exercise.
7. Limit your time on the news
Take care with what you read on the news. The news can be overwhelming at this time so try to limit what you read or watch. Make sure you use trustworthy sources – such as GOV.UK or the NHS website – and fact-check information from other newsfeeds and social media.
