⌗SurvivalGuides: Revenge of the Lockdown - How to keep a routine and Keep your Mind and Body Healthy

 

We're going back into Lockdown, it can be a scary time trying to adjust to the new rule changes.

We've had sudden routine changes following the Tiered system and now the resurgence of a Month Long Lockdown can be distressing and overwhelming. 

Have no fear, I have put together some helpful and useful tips and tricks to get through the second Lockdown. 

On the 31st October 2020, the Prime Minister made an announcement that the whole of the UK was going back into a month long lockdown from starting at 12.01am on Thursday 5th November (tomorrow) until the 2nd December 2020. 

Wales have already been in a month long lockdown which is due to end on the 9th November 2020 (although it seems like this one has now been extended), Scotland and Northern Ireland have also set out plans respectively for their own Lockdown period. 

How to Adapt your Routine and Keep yourself Healthy: 

1. Try and Stick to your Normal Routine:

Trying to keep to a routine when you are working or studying from home can be difficult. 

I know exactly how tempting it can be to not bother to set an alarm or keep to your sleep hygiene routine, to get dressed or even to set up your laptop and get on with the day as you normally would if you were actually commuting to work/college/university. 

Under the new restrictions, you can still commute to work if you need to be at your place of employment and can not work from home. 

However, if you are working or studying from home, try and stick to your routine as best as you can. 

It means still setting your alarm in the morning, getting dressed as if you were going to work and setting up a quiet zone in the house where you can work, although you might be able to be more flexible with your breaks and lunch hour depending on your schedule and work load. 

Throughout the last Lockdown, children actually preferred to do their school work from home and felt less anxious as they could learn at their own pace. 

The same can be said from working from home, you might still have to meet certain deadlines but you can spread your workload out throughout the day if you need too, apply more little breaks and time for yourself and still communicate with the office and colleagues via Zoom, Email and Phone. 

2. Look after your Body: 

When you're stuck indoors over a long period of time, not really doing anything the temptation to look in the fridge and see what there is in there or open the selection boxes intended for Christmas early can be really easy to do but it won't help you in the long run. 

Sticking to a healthy diet and getting some exercise will help keep your mind and body healthy. 

Getting the right amount of healthy food and treating yourself once in a while is the best thing, snacking on healthier snacks and making sure you're getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals you need to support your immune system. 

You can still exercise during the lockdown for once a day outdoors, with the weather getting colder you might not want to venture outside if it's blowing a gale, pouring down with rain and feeling like braving the elements seems too much effort, you can always pull up a video from youtube with whatever you fancy. 

You can also attend Clinical appointments under the new restrictions if you are receiving treatment for a ongoing condition. 

 

3. Only Watch the News Once a Day: 

The news is negative, it is there to give you information but the way it delivers items is usually negative to gain a larger audience and social media interaction. Stories can often be dramatised to give them more impact and to start negative discussions online. 

You don't want to become obsessed or get sucked into those negative thought patterns as it's not healthy, mentally and emotionally it can drain you being in a constant state of anxiety and fear. 

Your mental health and wellbeing is important and only you can control.

The key thing to realise is that when you are accessing this information you are in complete control of it, if you're starting to feel overwhelmed or distressed you can always turn it off. 

The important rule with 24/7 news cycles is to think: 

• Is it important or relevant? 
• Have I seen this before?
•  Do I need to access this?  

The same can be said with social media: 

If your friends are upsetting you or distressing you by sharing content that you don't like, you can always mute them for 30 days. The same thing can be done with news facebook pages, you can mute them for 30 days, unlike and unfollow if you feel like you need to. 

Setting boundaries and making sure you feel safe is the most important thing and in the current social situation we're in, if it's not beneficial to see certain types of information then don't access it. 

4. Keep in touch and do something different with your loved ones: 

One of the biggest impacts on people during the last lockdown was being unable to see their families and friends due to the fear of transmission and restrictions from the pervious lockdown and Tier 3 restrictions. 

It might be a good time to send out a few messages and  inviting your loved ones to  a weekly Zoom/Facebook Room chat with your family and friends to catch up and have interactive quiz night or family night. 

Streaming services such as Disney+ have now got a new feature that allows you to watch a film or show with multiple people at the same time (Watch Party) which means you could have a virtual movie night with your loved ones from the comfort of your own home, grab the popcorn and enjoy. 

Keeping in touch is a good way to check in and have a laugh, sending someone a message, having a chat on the phone or even writing a letter/email can be a relief from the isolation and boredom. 

Joining in with other interactive things you love online might also help with different organisations and even celebs running weekly social media interactive sessions to stay in touch and have some fun in the process. 

You can still visit people within your 'Support Bubble' under the new restrictions, this includes children with separated parents, families provided childcare and carers/volunteers visiting vulnerable or disabled people. 

5. Ask for Help if you need it: 

Mental health is important and in a time where people are being made to stay indoors, it can be an isolating and horrible existence. 

If you are already feeling anxious or depressed, the lockdown is only going to make you feel worse rather than better and without help it can get even worse. 

If you feel like you need some help and support there are a few ways to do this: 

1. If you are in Crisis and need support quickly there are helplines that you can speak to: 

• If you are feeling suicidal or like you are going to harm yourself please ring 999 (UK)
• The Samaritans have a 24 hour helpline that you can call on: 116 123 or you can email them jo@thesmaritians.org and they should get back to you within 24 hours.   
• Your local NHS Mental Health Crisis Team will be able to help you via the phone, ask you GP for the number.   

        2. Services and apps that you can help: 

• The Aspergers Girl Guide has a dedicated messaging service via Facebook(www.facebook.com/AspergersGirls) that you can message any time you need to, I aim to answer messages as soon as possible. You can also email me at aspergersgirlguide@gmail.com. 
• There are numerous apps that are specifically set up for mental health and are recommended by the NHS which you can find here: https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/category/mental-health/

If you are attending counselling appointments you can still attend under the new restrictions under the 'Healthcare' exemption. Depending on your provider you will still receive phone calls, video calls or even face to face sessions without breaking restrictions. 

6. Allow yourself some time and give yourself some TLC: 

There is no excuse for not treating yourself with the love and respect you deserve throughout Lockdown or even in everyday life. 

Allowing yourself some ME time where you just shut the door on the world and give yourself some breathing space. 

This can be whatever you want it to be, whether you want to snuggle up in bed in your pj's a bit earlier streaming your favourite film or TV show, reading a good book, getting a take away/cooking your favourite meal, baking and maybe running yourself a relaxing bath the choice is yours. 

Giving yourself the time and space to just switch off and give yourself a break before your mind and body do it for you in the form of a shutdown. Allow yourself the time to relax and unwind  should be apart of your routine and it is important. 

The lockdown doesn't have to be a scary thing, it doesn't have to be isolating and it can allow you to explore yourself. 

Hopefully we'll be out of it soon! 

Sophie x