5 Ways To Take Care Of Your Mental Well-Being In Lockdown:

Depending on where you are in the world, you're either just starting out in the COVID-19 lockdown, or you've been staying home for quite a while now. However long you're been in self-isolation, it's difficult. You have good days and bad days, especially with those like me, who are unable to work and have other stresses such as finances, not knowing if you have a job to go back to and trying to stay positive through all of it. Mental well-being is especially important, particularly during a time where most of us can feel pretty alone, sometimes miles away for our closest loved ones. So take some time out of your day to focus on yourself and taking care of your mental health using a few of my top tips!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Emily's Note For Readers:

If you are feeling overly depressed, anxious or suicidal to the point it is affecting your daily life and your thoughts - please contact a helpline straight away. If you don't know where to turn, there are plenty of sources online which can direct you to the correct sites or contacts you may need. Don't suffer in silence.

I recommend UK based site HOPELINEUK (Papyrus UK), a suicide prevention charity.

Link to the site is here: https://papyrus-uk.org/hopelineuk/

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Create and Maintain Good Relationships

Support Employees During Lockdown

Without a strong support network, I think all of us would find living much, much harder. The good news about being in lockdown is that everyone all over the world is in exactly the same position. We are all indoors, far from friends and family but in the technological age we live in, we are fortunate that we can pick up the phone or send a quick message to check-in with friends and I strongly advise that you do so. I am in lockdown with my parents but nobody else, my partner is also at home with his parents and thus we can't see each other and haven't done so for 24 days now. Keeping us both sane and in good spirits is knowing we can still talk over video call or text message at any hour of the day, it's a bit of the normality we have left that is comforting. Now is a perfect opportunity to patch up any disputes you have had with people in the past, reaching out with an apology or wishing them well is a good start, particularly as during this time people are coming together more to support each other. I have mended a friendship that left on bad terms, but even though we're not the best of friends, they appreciated the gesture nevertheless and I think the whole situation is as good as forgotten. Just because you're in isolation, doesn't mean you have to be isolated! Just because you're alone, it doesn't mean you have to be lonely! If you are struggling to find that support network, I am here for anyone who needs a friend.

4. Get Busy At Home Or Help Others

The worst part about being stuck at home is the boredom, let's be honest. There's only so much painting, reading, watching films you can do before it loses its novelty, especially for hours at a time for every day of the week. A good way to fill that time as well as giving your mental health a positive boost is to get busy! Create a schedule to stick to, perhaps on a Monday you clean your room, or on a Tuesday you decide to do the washing. Don't make the schedule too chore-ish though! Make time to put in other things such as time to wind down, taking a long bath, ordering a takeaway or reading a book! A well-balanced schedule is equally as important, you want this to be a back-bone for your time at home, so try not to make it too strenuous and boring! If after having a schedule you still feel something is missing, you can also try voluntary work. Harvesting businesses are desperate for people to help pick fruits for the rising demand and there are other avenues, such as opting to help out vulnerable people by driving them to and from hospital appointments, picking up the shopping, or helping maintain their house. Depending on where you live, there will always be opportunities to do your bit if you feel comfortable in doing so!

Look After Your Mental Health

3. Keep A Diary Or Try Writing Your Progress

We are living in a historic event that the next generation will have no memory of, why wouldn't you want to document what it's like living in lockdown, what changes are being made every day as time goes along and how you are filling your time! I began my diary way before the pandemic begun, but writing in it now feels like I'm telling the story to our future generations and also for me to look back on in disbelief that I was alive when this was happening. Not only is it good for documenting history but it also clears your mind, you don't have to focus on the pandemic at all, leave it out if you feel like it would have a negative affect on you rather than a positive one, as for some people it can be even worse to be reminded of what is going on and I completely understand that. If this sounds like you, why not go for the latter, write your progress instead. List the things you are grateful for, the people you have heard from, perhaps you've made some meals this week you're proud of, or you've taught the kids something new at home. Whatever it is, as long as it's positive, write it all down! You deserve to reflect on the positive things!

2. Do Something You've "Never Had Time For"

You know where I'm going with this. Ever wanted to cut down on your meat intake and told yourself now wasn't the right time? Or perhaps you promised your husband you'd paint living room three years ago and it's still dull and dreary. Whatever you've been putting off, now is the perfect time to do it! Dye your hair blue if you've always wanted to, deep clean the bathroom or rekindle a long lost friendship. There is absolutely no excuse not to when the majority of us aren't allowed to go far from home leaving us with plenty (perhaps too much) time on our hands! Not only will this tick a very old box off of your list and prevent self-disappointment down the line for not bothering, but it will also keep you entertained for the time being and make you feel great about yourself! That should be reason enough to get the job done!

1. Learn A New Skill

A new skill, that takes a lot of time, right? What do we have a lot of right now? Time! I've been practicing with the boring task of running a household, basic things like ironing, cleaning a toilet or doing the washing I've never done, ever. But with the thought of moving out slowly creeping into my mind, it was about time I learned some of these skills, my mother happily obliging to teach me everything I need to know. There are plenty of at-home skills you can try, you can practice an instrument you've never played, get out an easel and paintbrush and see where your imagination takes you, or perhaps you can give a go at blogging yourself! Nothing makes a person feel more accomplished than learning something new! Focus your goals on what interests you, there's no use studying animal physiology if you have no purpose or want to use this in later life, but perhaps trying the waters with certain skills will ignite a talent you never knew you had. There's only one way to find out, get creative!