In difficult times such as these, it’s important to remember to do things that make you happy. Appreciating the small things in life can do wonders for our mental wellbeing and increase our happiness levels.
We’ve put together some ideas for how you can stay positive and look after yourself:
Connect with your loved ones
Even if it’s over FaceTime, stay in touch with your loved ones. If you need to self-isolate, you might feel disconnected from the outside world. As humans, we need regular human interaction to avoid feelings of loneliness so staying in regular contact with the people that mean a great deal to us is important.
Take advantage of the quietness
Things are now quieter than normal. Think about what you can do without the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Maybe it’s a good time to start mindfulness to free up space in your mind or you could use this time do to something creative like a painting or some writing.
Read those books you said you’d get around to
With extra time indoors, you’ll probably have space in your schedule to get around to reading those books you’ve said you’d read for ages. Or maybe it’s a good time to start a new book? Science has shown that reading can make us more positive and it reduces stress and anxiety, improving our empathy and memory levels too!
Join a virtual choir
In case you missed it, many people around the world are gathering together (over the internet) for singalongs to lift each other’s spirits during the pandemic. Why not give it a go too? Group singing makes us happier, healthier, and it increases our creativity levels – and this is proven by neuroscience.
Surround yourself with greenery
Why not take some time out to work on your garden? Surrounding ourselves with greenery is good for our mental health and tasks like gardening can help keep our minds occupied. It’s also great exercise for keeping active.
Tidy things up
Spring has sprung, why not have a Spring clean of your home? Cleaning is thought to reduce stress and anxiety due to its repetitive nature and it helps feel like everything is in order.
Create a healthy work-life balance if you’re working from home
If you’re working from home, it can be difficult to separate home life from work life. Try to stick to a routine. Wind down at the end of the working day with some mindfulness to leave any work stresses behind.
Consider donating to organisations or volunteering
Many elderly people and more at risk members of the population will need our help in times like these. If you’re able to, consider doing some research about how you can volunteer your time or donate to charities. Helping others can help yourself as it can give you a sense of purpose.
Get back in touch with your creative side
Now is the ideal time to work on that project you never started or finished. You could pick up a hobby you might have fallen out of touch with like painting, writing or playing a musical instrument. Maybe you could even learn a new skill online like sign language – that could prove useful in the future. The possibilities are endless if you do some research.
No matter what you do to spend your time, don’t forget to do what makes you happy while looking out for yourself and others around you.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, talking to someone you trust like a family member, friend or colleague can really help. Professional support services are also available to help you.
Useful links:
NHS Information on Coronavirus
How to look after your mental health during the pandemic
Looking after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak