20/01/2021
Top tips to cope during the coronavirus pandemic.
Many people; therapists, patients, healthcare workers… may find themselves isolating for a variety of reasons to protect their own and the physical health of others. The following tips are there to protect your emotional health during this difficult time. Please change and adapt these tips for the guidance you have been given.
• Stay connected to others – by writing to, phoning or messaging others. Set up a “chat” so that you can say hello to others during the day. Keep in mind though that it might be overwhelming to be sending and receiving lots more messages so try to strike a balance between contact and quiet time.
• Strike a balance with screen times – we may all be looking at our screens more than usual. Screens can affect our eyes and our ability to sleep so try to balance screen time with reading a book, playing a game, trying out a new recipe or training your pet :-)
• Establish a new routine – routines are crucially important to our wellbeing as they provide structure, a sense of safety and control over the aspects of our life we can currently control. Your routine may involve meal times, work time, exercise time, relaxation time, social contact time…
• Get as much fresh air and variety as possible – have a window open as much as possible (given the Winter months) and move around to different rooms where you can
• Exercise – this is especially important for your physical and mental wellbeing, try to find an online exercise class or dig out an old exercise DVD!
• Acknowledge your feelings – most of us will be experiencing a range of emotions during this time and it is important to notice and acknowledge what we are feeling, rather than trying to push these feelings away. It may be useful to share your feelings with another.
• Do what is important to you – take some time to consider what is meaningful to you in your life; is it being helpful, being creative, being honest, being productive, being practical? You can’t do your usual activities, consider what you can do instead that is still important to you. For example, if staying fit is important to you and you normally go to an exercise class twice a week - think about what can do to stay connected with your value of staying fit.
• Try something new – many people are trying new activities, such as joining a new activity class online or learning a new skill. If this interests you then make the most of this opportunity, however, do not feel pressurised to do this!
Please note these organisations may be useful if you wish to talk to someone at short notice or if you are experiencing a crisis:
Samaritans – please call 116 123
The Silver Line (for people over 55 years old) – please call 0800 4 70 80 90
Shout (a 24 hour text based helpline) - please text 85258
