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Friday 3 July 2020

Advice | Let's Talk About Mental Health - Lockdown Edition

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone

Our mental health should be our top priority, especially during this worldwide pandemic and the whole lockdown situation. I've certainly been going up and down with my mental health during this uncertain time. I suppose it didn't help with having our holiday cut short and having an emergency flight home, having to self isolate when we came back and then lockdown happened, so I was stuck at Adam's parents house for 3 months. Of course having none of my own space, living out of a suitcase and working from there with the same 4 walls everyday drove me insane. But since Boris brought in the support bubble system, I've FINALLY been able to come home! Which was so wonderful to finally be able to see my Mum and have my own space back. So within this post from the experience I've gained through this difficult time, I'm going to share with you, how I felt, how I coped and what I did to stop myself going mentally insane.

How are you feeling? Let's start with that. How has this time made you feel? Anxious, depressed, scared, made you feel trapped? Same here. I've never felt so low and trapped during this time. The fact you couldn't have your freedom, all you can do is go to work if you can't from home or go to do your food shop - highlight of the week at the time, am I right? Now that the rules have lifted slightly, it's helping us get VERY slowly back to normal. As we've now adjusted to a new way of life, now we have to start all over again. We can't leave the house without a mask or hand sanitiser, well I know I won't be.

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone

All this time of being at home has certainly boosted our screen time up hasn't it! Which sometimes can be a bad thing, especially when it comes to comparison. Not a good time to help your self esteem or self confidence scrolling on social media daily. So this is where more recently I've not been on social media as much to prevent this, as I'm sure a lot of us are guilty of feeling this way. So try and limit yourself with doing that. Instead of saying I wish I looked like that and think, everyone is different and everyone is unique - you my darling are beautiful inside and out. Remember that!

Eating junk food I've noticed is always a killer on a good mood. As nice as it is to scoff the evening away on Percy pig sweets and a tub of Pringles, it's not good for the body or the mindset. Swapping junk food for either fruit, yoghurt, nuts, cheese etc. Just healthier snacks in general as well as healthier meals and less takeaways can really change the way you feel physically and mentally.

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone

Speaking of mindset, the way you think about things will determine exactly how your mindset turns out. If you are negative about every little thing, then you'll have a negative mindset. But if you see a positive in every situation your more likely going to feel more positive and have a more positive mindset. It all depends on how much you look at situations in different ways.

One of my favourite ways to improve a kinder and calmer, also more positive mindset is practising Yoga. I've been doing yoga most days during lockdown and it's brought such a lovely sense of calm to my mindset and just let's me take time to just breathe. As much as I love the gym, I've not been loving exercising at home as much, but some days I make myself do a workout as it just makes me feel better and happier too. But I honestly can't wait for the gyms to open back up again.

Getting outside in the garden or out for a country side walk has felt like the only taste of freedom we've had. I've always been grateful for nature and the countryside, as it's never been more needed than during this time as a lovely place to go to. Even if its a field, a nature park or anything similar. I'm so grateful we have the countryside to escape to for a little while.

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone

Certain apps on your phone are good to download and listen to, like Headspace, Calm - apart from somethings in Calm you have to pay for. So that's where youtube comes in to stop you spending money. Looking for calming music like bird sounds, waterfalls or just calming music in general is lovely to listen to and just breathe.

Having a night, or even a day to pamper yourself can help your mindset. Running a nice bubble bath with a bath bomb or salts, lighting a candle, putting on a face mask, have some calming music in the background etc. Sounds like bliss to me.

Online retail therapy is also a good one, as treating yourself to something new because you deserve it should be on your ways to bring your mood up, as I love it when I buy something new, it's like a present in the post to yourself.

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone
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Something I notice always calms me down when I'm anxious is cleaning or ticking something off my to do list. There's something about a sense of productivity that makes me feel so much better and gives me a happier, clearer mindset.

Lastly, sleep. Getting enough sleep plays a big part in how you feel. Going to bed at midnight or later and waking up at 6am doesn't help. I need at least 8-9 hours sleep to feel at my best. So get those Zzz's in to make you feel better.

How have you been feeling/coping during lockdown?

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