Looking After Your Well-being In Unexpected Times.

By Steve Carr & Jo FitzGerald

In these times of unexpected events and unexpected circumstances, we need to acknowledge that social distancing, quarantine, or isolation is sometimes difficult and can have a profound effect on our mental health. This is especially true when we do not know for how much longer this will go on. Here is a list of simple things we can all do to adapt and help promote our wellbeing.

1. Get Into A Routine

In times of uncertainty and change, it can really help our general wellbeing if we have some kind of routine. It helps to give us back a little bit of control in our life and can be reassuring, as well as keeping us on track with achieving daily goals. These goals should not be huge – we do not want to put extra pressure on ourselves – but we are much more likely to achieve them if they are written down. Spending all day in your pyjamas and forgetting to brush your teeth might seem fun to start with, but won’t do much good for your mental health. Create a plan for the day, try and get up and go to bed at a sensible time, to ensure you get enough sleep (so, no more Netflix ‘til 4 am!). Getting the correct amount of sleep is vital to your wellbeing.

2. Have A Healthy Diet

When you’re at home all day (and REALLY close to the kitchen), it can be tempting to just sit on the sofa without moving, eating unbalanced meals, and snacking all day as a way to entertain and soothe yourself. If you’re feeling low, or bored, try not to add to a slump by drinking lots of alcohol or eating rubbish. Also, avoid having too much caffeine, if it affects you, as this can contribute to feeling anxious. Another hugely important aspect is to keep hydrated. Drink water if possible, keep it near you, and drink at least three BIG glasses a day – preferably more. Being adequately hydrated really helps your wellbeing, stops you from feeling so tired, and also aids concentration and physical health. Do your best to eat well – fruit and vegetables are really important for our physical health – and that impacts our mental health. (There are some local independent retailers, greengrocers, and such, who are now delivering locally). 

3. Consume News Wisely

The blanket 24/7 coverage of coronavirus, particularly on social media, can easily impact your mental health. Make sure you opt-out and try not to listen to the constant stream of news reports, which can cause anyone to feel anxious. Listen only to qualified health professionals and visit the WHO or Government websites for reliable information. Also, do try to avoid reading the news or social media just before going to sleep.

4. Engage With Nature

Try to get exposure to the outside world as much as possible within the limits of your self-isolation. Ideally, get out into the garden or on a balcony if you have one. If you can’t physically get outside, spend a portion of your day looking outside, open your windows to get some fresh air, or tend to your house plants. Now is also a great time to plant some seeds, flowers, or vegetables. (Everything you need is still available online, lots of local suppliers still need your support and are delivering.)

5. Keep Active

Try to create a routine that includes some physical exercise – this is so very important. There is an important link between physical health and mental health because the brain is connected to the body. So, how well we’re managing our physical health will directly affect our mental health. Keeping fit with regular exercise also improves our immune system – so it’s crucial right now. Even if we can’t get out to exercise, there are lots of ways to get a good workout indoors. Use the internet to find videos of something appropriate to your ability. Remember to warm up those muscles first and exercise safely – we DO NOT want to be visiting A&E anytime soon!

6. Mix Up Your Activities

Don’t just sit in front of a screen all day – whether for work or pleasure. It’s not the best way to spend long periods of time. Especially because the blue light from devices, like mobiles, can be disruptive to your sleep and overall wellbeing. Try doing something different, a craft, listen to a podcast, read a book, cook or bake, learn something new… The possibilities are endless!

7. Stay Connected

Just because you’re self-isolating or social distancing doesn’t mean you have to cut yourself off altogether. In fact, it’s more important now to keep in touch with people regularly and stay connected. Make sure you stay in touch with friends and family via email, social media, video conference, messenger, or telephone. Connection to others contributes to our wellbeing and happiness. It’s also helpful if you’re struggling with tough emotions. You can reach out to someone you trust to share how you’re feeling – and that could be a game-changer. Apps like ‘Houseparty’ are great – you can have friends and family sharing screens on laptops/tablets/mobile phones – and chat and play games together. It can be something to look forward to and lifts everyone’s mood, as well as being reassuring because we know we’re not alone in this.

8. Check In On Yourself

Ask yourself, how am I feeling today? There are going to be days when we feel good, and other times that are much more tricky where we might struggle. Check-in on yourself a couple of times a day. If you’re feeling low or anxious, especially if this lasts a few days or more – it might be time to get some support or practice some self-care. To help get you out of a low mood, do something that makes you happy, something creative would be great, or listen to music, start writing THAT book, learn something new… Meditation and yoga are also really effective in combatting low mood or anxiety – as is exercise. Laughter is also really beneficial, so watch some funny cat videos, or catch your favourite comedian online. Whatever tickles your funnybone and gets those endorphins flooding around.

9. Let It Go!

Try not to get hung up on all the change, the uncertainty, the unknown, the difficulties – it can become totally overwhelming, and that’s when our mental health takes a nosedive. Ask yourself, “What can I change?” and “What is outside of my control?” There is no use getting hung up on things that we can’t do anything about. Tell yourself that this is temporary – it will pass. If there are worries and anxieties about things that you CAN do something about – that should be your focus. Make a plan about the steps you can take towards reaching a resolution or a goal, then put that plan in action – or wait until you can. If we have a plan and know what to do, it can ease any anxiety we feel.

10. Focus On The Positive

There are so many things that can cause us to worry and bring us down at the moment. But we can choose to focus on the good things we have in our lives. We all have things for which we can be grateful, whatever problems we have. Every day, I write down two things that I am thankful for in a notebook. It can be anything – people, pets, experiences… the list will grow and grow. Doing this means we are giving our focus to what is good, which gets all those great chemicals pulsing around our brain. If you’re feeling a bit low, just take a look at that ‘grateful’ list to remind yourself of all the positives you have in your life. Positive thinking doesn’t mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life’s less pleasant situations. It just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. It makes us more optimistic and is excellent for managing stress and better able to cope.