Mental Health Awareness Week: Tips To Improve Mental Health During Lockdown

Published: 22/05/2020

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, encouraging people of all ages throughout the UK to take steps towards learning about and improving their mental health, from minor stress to major psychological problems. This week has come at a very important and timely manner with the current circumstances everyone around the world finds itself in during the global pandemic, Covid-19.

Everyday life as we know it has changed in recent months with the global pandemic causing lockdown around the world. As this is the case, we take a look at ways you can try to combat mental health during this time.

Get into a routine

A high number of people throughout the UK are currently working remotely from home. How are you finding it so far? Do you have a daily schedule or set routine you follow? Well now might be the perfect time to get started.

When you start to outline tasks and goals you aim to achieve on a daily basis, then you’re mentally preparing yourself for the day ahead. It’s equally important that you give yourself a few breaks throughout the day too, especially if you’re constantly staring at a computer screen all day. Why not take a moment or two to make a hot drink, play with your pets if you have any, take toilet breaks or go outside in your garden to get some fresh air. This can help soothe your mind and freshen your head from being stuck doing work for hours on end.

Enjoy long walks

Do you live near a park, forest or countryside? Well why not take a long walk of a morning to start your day off on a positive note and to help clear your mind. Failing this, why not consider going for a walk during your lunch break or after work so you’re taking time away from being stuck indoors all day and enjoy some fresh air and socialising, so long as you’re keeping to the social distancing measures!

Recent government regulations mean you can now go out as many times as you like, so long as you keep to the restrictions. Being outside, seeing the sunshine and doing something a bit different in your day can help brighten your mood and outlook for the day ahead, often helping with anxiety and depression.

Check-in with family and friends

Although it may feel like your social life is currently at a standstill during the lockdown, it’s important to know that we’re all in this together. There will be many throughout the UK that have gone days, weeks or even months without seeing loved ones and friends. Whether it’s your mum, dad, brother, sister, nan or grandad, it’s important to check-in with them from time to time and see how everyone is doing. A quick five-minute call could be all it takes to make someone’s day. It can also help your own frame of mind, simply hearing someone’s voice, knowing they’re okay and talking about what they’ve been up to.

A big plus in recent months has been the rising popularity in using video conference apps such as Zoom, which allows numerous people to connect to video chats at the same time. Millions around the world have been making great use of the video calling apps not only for daily or weekly work conference calls, but also by hosting and playing quizzes, play games etc.

Keep in regular contact with work mates

If you are missing the social interaction you otherwise would normally have with work mates in the office, then why not consider arranging a virtual catch up with them over a morning coffee break or end of week virtual get together to discuss what you’ve all been up to throughout the week.

Be kind to yourself and others around you

These are strange and testing times we’re currently living in. It’s okay if you don’t feel normal about working from home but be kind to yourself and others around you. Acknowledge that you may not be able to be as productive as you usually would in your normal working environment. Make realistic goals to achieve on a daily or weekly basis and make sure you take care and rest when your working day is done with such things as watching a movie, reading a book or spending family time in the garden.

For more important information on Mental Health Awareness Week from the Mental Health Foundation, click here. You can also find some very helpful advice on mental health and wellbeing from the NHS, here.

Check out some of our other lockdown related articles:

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