Coronavirus: 6 Top Tips For Looking After Your Mental Health
Mental Health First Aider, Gwen Goddard, tells us why we should 'let loose that inner child and make the most of the situation with some fun'.
17 April 2020
The Covid-19 virus is having an impact on us all – sick or not. There is a lot of emphasis on precautions to shield our physical health, but we must ensure we’re also taking care of our mental health, as isolation can play a big part in poor mental health if we’re not careful – but there are a few things we can do to maintain our mental wellbeing...
Stay connected
We’re lucky in a way. This has happened in the digital age. Stay connected with your colleagues and your friends through video calls. You can even play games with people online. Make plans for it – missing your friends? Plan a virtual mate date where you can do the above. We’re only as restricted as our imagination is.
Build a den in your living room 鈥� yes, even adults!
If you do live with people, perhaps try to do something other than sitting, binge watching box-sets and getting on each other’s nerves. Go for a walk, if you’re able to, whilst observing social distancing; put your phones down and play a board game; Build a den in your living room – yes, even adults! This is a great opportunity to let loose that inner child and make the most of a crappy situation with some fun.
Relaxation
Things can get tough. Remember to engage in some relaxation, however you do it. Get your exercise in; do a hobby – or even take up a new one like meditating.
Food and mood
Keep eating well! It can be tempting to smash the biscuits, but processed and high fatty/sugary foods wreak havoc with our hormones which, of course, impacts on our mood. Try to have at least 5 fruits/veggies a day and try to eat whole foods – it’s not too difficult to do: Beans on wholewheat toast with butter, spaghetti bolognese from scratch, chicken, veggies mash and gravy – there are loads of options. You can still have your biscuits and chocolate, just try to maximise on the good stuff!
Routine
Try to stick to your routine as much as possible. Don’t watch the next episode ‘because you don’t have to drive in to work in the morning’ – try to be disciplined and maintain a good sleeping pattern. Eat and drink at regular intervals. Start work when you’re supposed to and finish when you’re supposed to. Make sure you work in a different environment to where you relax. If you have kids, it’s going to be weird for them too, so try to maintain their routine as well.
Give back
If you are able to – help out. Go and ask your neighbour if they need anything. If you’re going to the shop, ask you friends and family if you can keep an eye out for anything they need and drop it outside their door. Perhaps allocate an hour a couple of evenings a week to reach out to isolated people who have no one else and video call them. Implement that #BeKind we were talking about so much a few weeks ago.
Beware of the fake news and take a break
Social media can be full of crap. Only get information from reputable sources. Check these where information has been shared on Facebook and don’t be afraid to question the validity of ‘Sharon’s mum’s sister’s donkey’s owner said that people in Italy are blah blah blah’ – we live in a world where we have unlimited information – we have to sift through the scaremongering to get to the real stuff.
If you鈥檙e struggling, reach out and contact someone.
Also, switch off. Allocate an hour or so for social media and resist the urge to sit and scroll. Leave your phone when you are cooking. Put it over the other side of the room when you’re watching TV. It can overload us.
We’re all in this together and there’s so much heartening stuff happening. Many people are very connected in their isolation – it’s a weird kind of paradox. We’re all helping each other out as well. If you’re struggling, reach out and contact someone, and if you don’t feel comfortable and you’re in crisis, remember that there are always helplines available.
