How to stay upbeat during lockdown
With the numerous lockdowns because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is safe to say that we will be staying at home for a long while now. On top of limiting social interaction, this can potentially take a toll on our mental health as well. Here are a few things you can do to look after your mental health and uplift your outlook when staying at home:
Get Sufficient Sleep!
Ever heard the term, “sleep is for the weak”? On the contrary, having sufficient sleep is important for our overall well-being. It not only allows us to have enough energy to last the next day, but also improves our overall mood to start our day strong. Getting sufficient sleep even helps lower your chances for serious health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Most adults need 7-8 hours of good quality sleep each night. So, get your night caps on, schedule and stick to your bedtime routine.
Exercise!
Just because your favourite gym, park or jogging trail is closed, doesn’t mean that you should put your fitness journey on hold. With everyone stuck at home now, home workouts have gained popularity. Bodyweight exercises or calisthenics focuses on using your own bodyweight as resistance, building strength, flexibility, endurance, and coordination. No other equipment is needed.
Best of all, there are a lot of free programs available as well as on YouTube. So tag a few friends along to make your fitness journey much more enjoyable.
Practise Gratitude
As the saying goes – Count your blessings every day. While it is understandable that this can be challenging especially during these tough times, practising gratitude allows us to be more appreciative of what we have around us, no matter how small. From cleaning to picking up old or new hobbies, or even tweaking a small part of your schedule for the better, we have something to be thankful for every day.
Try writing in a journal or recounting in an app about your day and the things you are thankful for. Our life on Earth is short, so make it count!
Rekindle an Old Hobby or learn something New
With many people now at home due to the lockdown, we need to keep our minds occupied to stay upbeat. This is a good opportunity to rekindle those old hobbies which we initially didn’t have time for pre-pandemic.
Just like with old hobbies, its never too late to start new ones. It will not only add to our repertoire of skills, but also create a sense of appreciation of what we are capable of. Been interested in making something from scratch? Go for it! Want to try out a new recipe or pick up music or painting? The world is your oyster.
When we’re confined to our homes, taking up old and new hobbies are good ways to continuously work on our creatives juices and stay on our feet. Who knows, we’ll be surprised on what we find out about ourselves if we give it a try.
Meditate
Meditation helps ease and clear our minds for a brief period, allowing us to stay relaxed and focused on one thought. Because of this, meditation is also said to help ease stress and anxiety. Moreover, meditation helps us self-reflect and instil a sense of self-discipline, improves our moods, and thus helps in improving our outlook in life.
So, let’s block off 10 minutes first and find a quiet and comfortable spot, and focus on easing your mind through deep breathes.
Stay connected with friends and family
Maintaining contact with our friends and family is crucial for our well-being too. As we are naturally social animals, we crave for social interaction. So, it is normal for us to feel isolated and confined when we’re stuck at home.
Although the lockdowns have dampened our physical interactions, it doesn’t mean we stop staying in touch with them entirely. Technology has modernized for the better regarding social interactions such as group video calls and instant messaging apps. These channels have allowed us to stay much more connected with our friends and families wherever they are. Furthermore, tech companies are getting creative in ensuring that our social needs are fulfilled. From video calls to online social games, staying in touch virtually has never been easier.
Write a Routine Schedule
A routine schedule covers all the above. It encompasses what time we should head to bed, time for work, shop for groceries, block some time for our hobbies, meditation, exercises, and our meals. By planning and sticking to a schedule, it allows us to be more efficient and productive with our time daily. Otherwise, our anxiety and stress may build up due to the lack of structure in our lives.
These are just a few of our recommendations on staying upbeat during this lockdown. You are free to tweak them to suit your style! Most important of all; remember that you are not alone, and that this is not forever. Together, we will ride out this pandemic and look forward to the day when we can gain back some form of normalcy.
Simple exercises to stay active while working from home
Many of these exercises don’t require much equipment, just your bodyweight as resistance and best of all, these can be done right in your own bedroom or living room.
Composting 101
Composting – a process where organic materials are used to fertilize and help grow your plants – is one of the best and cost-saving ways to improve your garden soil.