Battling the Blues

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“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”

– Anne Frank

Mental health can be a difficult thing to keep under control and the current circumstances make it a lot harder. I’m no expert and I don’t claim to be, but I thought it may help some of you to know the things which have helped me to keep my mind positive when stuck at home.  By Victoria Marie (pictured)

Living Your Usual Life

For me, the main thing I’m struggling with is my everyday routine being changed. At first, I found myself not wanting to leave my bed and do things which I would normally do in my day-to-day life. It’s bad enough when you’re feeling low and don’t have the energy to do things and this lockdown makes it all so much harder. My advice for what’s helped me the most is to push yourself; shower, eat properly, go for walks, tidy your place, keep hydrated. Trying to keep up with your routine outside of normality has been the best way for me to keep my mental health happy in this situation. 

Contact

With current technological advancements it’s easier for you to keep in contact with your friends and family, so don’t stop yourself. Pick up the phone, make the most of FaceTime or even take the old-fashioned route and write someone a letter! I know I’d absolutely adore waking up in the morning to a cute handwritten letter from someone I love.

Most people are having to take time off work now (https://brightonjournal.co.uk/working-from-home-how-to-keep-motivated-and-focused-during-lockdown/) which is leading them to disconnect with colleagues – this doesn’t have to be the case. Start a group chat on Facebook or Whatsapp, check in with each other through text. Sussex County FA have been one of the most in touch companies and set standards we should all be following; even though a lot of them are no longer working, they still host weekly quizzes and hold team meetings to keep some sense of normality. It’s always good to check up on the people in your life as they may be struggling more than they’d like to let on.

Distractions

Distracting yourself in times like these can seem like an impossible task but is achievable if you focus on the hobbies you would usually enjoy; keeping yourself occupied is an important part of maintaining a healthy mental attitude. My go-to distraction is always reading, in my previous post I spoke of my favourite fantasy picks to help escape reality (https://brightonjournal.co.uk/the-light-in-lockdown-life/). You could also try spending some time in the sun doing some gardening (https://brightonjournal.co.uk/gardening-and-its-health-benefits/), give your car a wash or just have a relaxing bath with some candles for company. Being out in the sun would be my best tip, giving yourself the chance to soak in the Vitamin D will boost your happiness naturally.

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Stay Healthy

Staying healthy is something that’s easy to forget about, sitting at home can cause people to become lazy. I know I’ve become extremely lazy (although I honestly wasn’t very active before) since this has all started. Eating healthy is in my opinion, a hard thing to keep up with when your routine has been messed up. I don’t know about you guys but for me, sitting at home with easy access to snacks and no energy to cook a decent meal means I’ll end up so unfit by the time life starts again. The thing that gets me to eat properly – besides my mum and her amazing home cooking – is thinking of how I feel after I have a massive snack binge (not good). Eating helps my mental health as I feel less bloated and I gain the energy wouldn’t get from mountains of crisps and chocolate. 

Another way to stay healthy which again, I’m awful at, is exercising. Now as I barely went to 

Victoria Marie - Columnist

the gym before this lockdown, it took a while for me to build up the energy to start, especially as I didn’t know where to start. That is until I found out about Joe Wicks’ workout videos (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ). He has sessions for all ages and has a lot to focus specifically on children who are missing out on P.E. Something which makes for a more entertaining workout for me is to take my puppy for a walk or go for a run in the sun.

Author Victoria Marie (pictured)

Extra Help

If you’re struggling and feeling like you’re stuck in a hole you can’t fight a way out of, there are other people who can help. 

Samaritans: 116 123

Health in Mind: 0300 00 30 130

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