As we prepare for another 3 weeks of lockdown in the UK, some of us are beginning to get used to this new normal. But for many of us, loneliness, boredom, stress, lethargy and negativity are beginning to become more prominent. What’s important to remember is that while we are apart, we are all in this together and we must remain positive, feel grateful for what we have and look forward to brighter days to get through this sticky patch. Here are a few of our top tips to remain positive and prioritise your wellbeing throughout this challenging time:
Get Creative
Did you know that creativity is linked to happiness? Just like stress and sleep can form a vicious circle between each other (when you’re stressed you can’t sleep, and when you don’t sleep, you feel more stressed!) creativity and happiness can form their own little cycle of positivity. Test it out for yourself by adding 30 minutes of creativity to your day – whether that’s drawing, painting, playing an instrument, writing, making a video, baking or trying something completely out of the box – and see how it can affect your mood in the days to follow. Let us know how you get on at @tisseranduk.
Stay in touch with friends and family
While we can’t meet up with loved ones in person, checking in with a text, phone call or FaceTime can make a world of difference to your mood and the mood of your loved ones! This is especially important if you are isolating or social distancing on your own or if you know someone who is alone during this time. It’s easy to forget how someone else might be feeling if you are distracted with entertaining the kids or bouncing around the house with your housemates, parents or partner. A daily or weekly check-in might be more important for their wellbeing than it is for yours, and if we have learnt nothing else throughout this period, we have learnt that it’s important we think of others as much as ourselves right now. While apart, we are all in this together.
Keep your sense of humour
Every new circumstance and situation has its teething problems, whether that’s technical difficulties in setting up working from home or getting the kids (or yourself!) used to homeschool. While things like this can cause frustration, it’s important we see the funny side of things and keep our sense of humour during these times in order to create memories to look back on and find some much-needed light relief for our wellbeing. Our team could write a hit comedy for all the hilarious technology fails and family intruders in video conferences we have experienced in just 3 weeks!
Exercise
You hear it every day on the news, but getting exercise during this time is not just essential for our physical health, but also our mental health during this time! Ensure you make use of your daily outdoor exercise allowance – whether that’s for a run or just a walk around the block to get your body moving – and make use of the indoors too.
- If you have stairs, run up and down them 10 times until you’re out of breath.
- Set up an obstacle course in your living room and do a circuit to work muscles you never knew existed. (But take care!)
- Use household objects as weights if you can’t order your own online – use bottles of squash as dumbbells, heavy handbags as kettlebells and try using sturdy furniture for bodyweight dips and sit-ups.
- Make use of the amazing online content out there at the moment – try an online workout or yoga session for a daily sense of community as well as your vital exercise. Sarah Eckersley is running online classes via Zoom – check out her schedule at Wilde Yoga.
Seek out nature
If you have a garden – use it. If you don’t, use your daily exercise allowance to go and find a wooded area, an open green, a public footpath or even just a tree to walk by. Nature is brilliant for our mental and physical health, helping us breathe deeper, reflect and find calm and feel perspective and gratitude in these challenging times. We are so lucky this is happening at the beginning of spring and summer, when the sun is shining, the days are warmer, and our nature is at its most colourful. Find happiness in the smallest things.
Happy Vibes blend
Essential oils are a great tool to support our mental health, and while there are a number of oils you can blend to bring positivity and lift your mood during these challenging times, with our Happy Vibes blend, we have made it as easy as possible for you to experience essential oils for positivity at home, even for beginners. Our beautiful blend of Lemon Tea Tree, Bergamot and Nutmeg 100% natural pure essential oils will help you be cheerful, smile bright and feel great. Simply apply our Happy Vibes Pulse Point Roller Ball to pulse points at the temples, neck and wrists or apply it behind the ears for a renewed sense of contentment and positivity. Reapply throughout the day whenever you need a mood boost!
