Stel Coombe Heath Wholesome Lifestyle Project
I know for many of us lockdown has been quite a challenge, not to say the least. And as a Victorian resident, I know exactly how frustrating lockdown can be.
I understand how many people have felt down about their current situation, and with the fact that we are unsure when things are going to lift of feel normal again.
There can be quite a lot of melancholic feelings around our freedom right now so here are a few tips on to survive and thrive in lockdown.
Stay Active
Movement helps to shift the energy away from our brains and into the body which will sharpen your memory and thinking, give you more energy and reduce stress.
Make sure that you take enough breaks from your desk. Get up, do your stretches while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil.Plug your headset in while on phone calls and do some walking while you’re talking, just make sure that you move your body as much as you can.
Use your sheduled leisure time to go for nice long walks, get some fresh air, and just have fun with the time that you have outside, this will help to calm down the nervous system and help you with a fresh perspective on things that have had you worried or frustrated about lockdown.
Set clear boundaries when it comes to work, it’s really important that you still adhere to work hours, as if you were working from the office.
I know it’s easy for us to quickly look at the emails first thing in the morning, however, that puts us into a more of a stressful mindset, much earlier in the day.
Create a space for work only so that you can basically step in and out your office, even though it’s in your home.
Enjoy the little things in life, we often take the small things for granted. Now we have more time to spend with our family that we normally miss during working hours, we are able to spend more time in nature, of which we normally would not do being stuck in the office.
We are also able to use technology to connect with our loved ones, even though it might not feel the same, at least we still have that connection and don’t have to wait for snail mail to deliver a letter.
Get the creative juices flowing. Start a hobby that you might have been wanting to do for a while. When we are stuck in periods of unknown and uncertainty, this can create fear in the mind raising cortisol (stress hormones) levels.
It’s important for us to activate into our creative side of our brains which will take us out of the logical brain, reduces anxiety, boosts your mood, and even slows your heart rate..
Lockdown is a perfect opportunity to start a new hobby, or create a little dance party at home, and dance like no one’s watching.
Prioritize your mental health.
During lockdown people can experience more feelings of stress, anxiety or depression as lockdowns continue. This might elevat for those who might not have experienced those symptoms before.
So start a daily meditative practice, whether that’s having a cuppa tea mindfully, or a breathing exercise. Journaling can be a great way for you to write down some of those internal feelings.
Mindful eating is also highly recommended. When we stress out we tend to gobble food as fast as possible. And mindfulness, when it comes to eating will help us feel less out of control with food.
Lockdown, might be a source of stress and uncertainty, however, we are still in control within our making sure that we stay on top of our mental health, setting clear boundaries when it comes to work and also finding pleasure in the small things.
