With Victoria’s lockdown being extended out to July 27th at 11:59 pm and NSW and SA entering their own lockdown to try and get a hold on their outbreaks, it’s very easy for us all to become more than just a little disheartened and depressed. From our daily work and school routines chock full of public transport commutes and fun lunchtime work banter to a day spent mostly indoors within the same four walls, it’s fair to say that we all fall into a bit of a rut.
In a 2010 article from Weisner, T.S. he stated;
Weisner then goes onto to explain the role of ‘Chaos’ and how it relates to the ability for one to implement and sustain a meaningful daily routine, filled with fufillment and engagement within ones own community.
So to hopefully mitigate any concerns and worries regarding your mental well being here are five tips for personal self care, that you can employ at home to keep yourself happy, healthy and safe!
Stretch
Whether you’re working, studying or chilling at home it’s important to get up at the very least for 5 minutes once an hour, but ideally stand for 15 minutes per hour. This will not only aid in psutre restoration, but can also help prevent eye strain and back pain from prolonged sessions of being seated. If you’d like to make this a subtle powerful one two punch, every hour when you get up head down to the kitchen and get some water, now you’re stretching and getting hydrated throughout the day and your body will thank you.
Sweat
We all know exercise is an important part of weight management and healthy living, but it can also attribute itself to clearer skin, elevated mood and better overall mental health. No need to make it too complex either! Whether you’d prefer a few walks throughout the day (Up to 2 hours), to a Calisthenics routine or even just a quick follow along yoga routine on YouTube, it all aids in an building a healthy relationship with movement and food. If that wasn’t enough to convince you to get your sweat on, regular exercise can also contribute to; healthier hair, better sleep and more effective management of daily stress.
Savour
This one might sound a little odd but lends itself to great stimulation of all the senses with one activity, and that’s cooking! Regardless if you make a recipe you’ve been making weekly for the last decade or you pick somehting new and exciting, the choice is yours! The sight of new food is always exciting, the feel of the flour on your hands as you knead dough, the smell of freshly baked goods, the sound of things crackling away in the pan and of course we cannot forget the incredible taste! Try something new and stimulate the brain and all the senses today.
(Less) Sleep
Obviously if you know you are sleep deprived do the complete opposite, but with the comfort and luxury of working from home it can be hard to implement the self discipline of your normal daily routine. Now that you’re home you don’t have to dress for the office or get up at an ungodly hour. But that means it can be really easy to begin to oversleep, whether that’s sleeping in until the moment you need to start work or falling asleep TOO early becuase there isn’t much to do in the house, try your best to maintain good sleep hygeine and a proper sleep schedule.
Smile
It is defintely harder these days to find a reason to smile, with new and greater cases of COVID-19 everyday it can feel like the world is falling apart around you. In these cases it is important to remember that this won’t last and even though it feels like the worst thing ever right now, there will be a time where we can look back on this and be thankful that we did what we could to protect those who are vulnerable. So smile and remember it can and will get better for all of us. If you do need services such as Beyond Blue are still very active right now and even offer an SMS option if you don’t feel up to verbally communicating.
As you employ these tips of Self Care be sure to also check in regularly with friends and loved ones. Not everyone knows how to communicate or what to communicate when dealing with their Mental Health. Don’t forget to get in contact with us as well if you are in search of a Service Provider to help you in your journey to find Independence and Fufillment in your own life.
