Staying Sane and Surviving Lockdown
There’s a lot going on in the world right now, we’ve all had a lot of changes to make and many of those changes have happened almost overnight, with no time to adjust or plan.
Some of you will have children at home, some will be parted from your grandchildren. Either situation can be difficult. (I love my kids but it’s hard work trying to teach them... I have found a new level of respect for teachers).
Here’s some tips for keeping sane:
🛏 Get up at the same time each day, especially on a week day (if you can remember what day it is)
👖 Stick to a similar routine as life before lockdown, ie get dressed and do your hair, start the day as you normally would.
📝Plan your day. Sometimes planning what to do can help to keep order and routine
🏃♀️ Exercise. We might be stuck inside but getting exercise can give our bodies and our brains a boost. Get the kids involved/do it with family via video calling. Joe Wicks is on YouTube every weekday morning at 9am (beware... not for the faint hearted but the kids love it).
🍏 Eat healthy. It’s easy to forget to eat when you’re at home! You get stuck binge watching Netflix, cleaning your bathroom or doing the decorating you’ve been putting off for sometime. If you get busy set an alarm to remind you when it’s time to take a break and eat. Weekly meal plans are a great way to plan healthy low cost meals for the whole family: cooking on a boot strap by Jack Munroe was recommended to me by a friend, we’ve found some awesome low cost meals
💬 Keep talking. We may not be able to socialise in person at the moment but that doesn’t mean we can‘t socialise at all. Thanks to the millennial tech we have a multitude of devices that allow us to talk to our friends and family from the comfort of our sofa!
🧠 Keep your brain active. If you have been furloughed and bored stiff it can feel pretty mind numbing right? Keep your brain active, choose a new thing to learn and research it, do crossword puzzles, read a book or even write a book.
📺 It’s great to know what’s going on, but be careful not to get too absorbed by news. News is everywhere-on the TV, social media, radio and newspapers. Its easy to get absorbed in the news. I like to focus on one reliable source rather than using a host of different sources as I end up confused with fact and fiction, which can leave me in a state.
⏳ Have some ‘me time’. Don’t feel guilty when you take 30 minutes out of the day to grab some time for yourself, whether it’s to have a cuppa, a bath, read a book, or meditate. I'm a great believer that having this space gives up an opportunity to reset. You don’t have to do it at the same time everyday or for the same length of time just try and snatch those few minutes of calm while the kidsa re in bed or the other half is doing something else.
📱 Devices are everywhere, phones, tablets, computers and even watches. When having some ‘me time’ try and leave devices in a different room to help you clear your mind. Many devices omit blue light this can interrupt the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. Try and out your devices down an hour before bed, to allow you to get a better nights sleep. Easier said than done I hear you say... yeah I know! I’m not always the best at taking my advice either, although I generally wear spectacles with blue control anti reflection lenses. These lenses reflect that blue light.
🛌 Try going to sleep at the same time every night, I’ve heard that it can help you to sleep better and wake up happier! Worth a shot right?
I hope you find these tips useful and likewise if you have any useful tips please feel free to email me at opticians.donington@clarkeyecare.co.uk or connect with us on Facebook or Instagram
For now stay safe, stay in and keep in touch.
N.B. The tips shared are some of the things I try to do, I should add that I am not a specialist nor am I trained in well being. The tips mentioned are of a personal opinion and things I find to help pass time, keep a good mental attitude and help to keep me thinking positively.
