We have another guest post today, and this time it’s from Em over at LoveEm with ways to cope during lockdown. We started following Em a few weeks back on our Twitter, and although she’s relatively new to having her blog you can tell she’s so passionate about it – there’s also a whole range of content on her blog, so please get check it out! Without rambling on for too long, I’ll leave the rest up to Em.
In this Post.....
Ways to cope during lockdown
Did you know each year, 1 in 4 people in the UK will suffer from a mental health issue? That is an alarming figure that will only be increased by the current lockdown. Coping with lockdown can be hard, but there are ways to deal with the difficult situation!
Restrict Social Media
Social media is one of the best and worst things around. It can be a place of positivity; sharing amazing achievements, meeting new people and discovering wonderful things. It can also be mean, unkind and scary. Restrict your time on social media and avoid reading news articles extensively. It is important to keep up to date with what is happening, but don’t spend hours stressing and scaring yourself over things!
Keep a Routine.
Something I personally find useful when coping with lockdown is keeping a routine. Get up around the same time each day and don’t stay up too late. Ensure you’re staying healthy and having your daily meals. I find that writing out a to-do list for the day is handy. I have 2 columns; what I need to do and what I would like to do. Don’t pressure yourself to do more than you need to do, especially if you aren’t up for it. A routine can get you comfort, structure to your day, and lets you know what the day will be like. It will also make adjusting back to “normal” life a bit easier!
Exercise / Meditate
Exercise is amazing for the mind. It makes the mind stronger, releases happy hormones and is good for your body. Exercising for 30 minutes a day also gets the blood pumping, so you’re more ready to do things! Meditation and yoga are also vital things to help with your mental health. Meditation allows you to release any negative energy you may have while yoga teaches control. These 3 things are really good for helping you cope with mental health and will be good for your body too.
Practise self-care and gratitude
Keeping a bullet journal isn’t everyone’s style, but it is important to be grateful for things and practise self-care. Every day, write down something you are grateful for or tell someone you appreciate them. It will make you and your loved one feel a lot better. It is also beneficial for your mental health to practise self-care every now and then. This could include anything from having a movie night or pampering yourself with a hot bath and face mask! It is important for your mental health to look after yourself and your body.
Keeping in contact with loved ones.
Something that will help you cope during lockdown is keeping in contact with your friends and loved ones. Lockdown can be very lonely, so make sure you ring your family or even meet up with them outdoors while maintaining social distancing measures. It can help you to know you aren’t alone and that people are there for you. It is also nice to check up on lonelier or distant members to check that they’re okay.
Get outside
The fresh air can be one of the best things for your mental health. Lying on a picnic blanket in the sun is very comforting. It is beneficial for your mental health to go outside once a day. You could sit in your garden for a bit, go for a walk or even sit by a river. Sunlight gives your body serotonin and melatonin, which are both important for your mental health. Sunlight also gives your body vitamins it needs!
Forget expectations
By forgetting expectations, I mean forget the expectations you set for yourself. You obviously need to maintain work and home life expectations but don’t put pressure on yourself. It can be easy to come up with a list of 101 things you’ll do in lockdown, but this unnecessary pressure could harm your mental health. Keep things simple. It can be distressing when you haven’t achieved your goals. Come up with a list of things you COULD do. If you’re feeling motivated, go for it, but don’t be disheartened if you don’t get around to it. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, it isn’t a competition to who can do the most DIY.
I hope these suggestions helped you, and will help you cope during lockdown. We are living in strange times at the moment. Let me know what you’re doing to look after your mental health in these difficult times!
Love, Em x
Twitter: @LoveEm_blog
Instagram: @loveem.blog
A huge thanks to Em for these great methods to cope during lockdown – check out our other posts on Mental Health and Lifestyle too!
A great post. I totally agree to avoid social media, but before all the virus thing, I stopped doing social media a long time ago.
I use to do lists, but never thought to create it that way. I like that idea and will certainly take that one on board.
I think everyone can do without social media sometimes! I love a list as well, useful for all occasions.
A great post and some great methods. I agree with the social media especially in lockdown, its so easy to get drawn to it constantly in lockdown.