We are around half way through “Lockdown 2,” and although it may seem second nature to some of us by now, for many it can still be a very challenging time. You may feel like you are cooped up inside for the majority of your week or perhaps you’re missing regular face to face interaction that Zoom just can’t replace. There are things you can do to help you get through this tough time, however. Here is our best advice for staying positive and productive through lockdown.
Routine
Have a routine and do your best to stick to it. Just because you can spend all day in your pyjamas, it doesn’t mean you should! Doing so is likely to leave you feeling lethargic.
Try to get up at the same time every day and make a basic plan for the week. This could be as simple as what time you are going to Zoom your friends and family and what time you’re going to go out for a walk – this will still help!
Let in the light
Working from home is the new normal for many of us, meaning much more time spent within the same four walls.
Humans are built to be outside and therefore it can make us feel down when we are stuck indoors continuously. It is therefore vitally important to work in areas where you will get plenty of sunlight.
Sunlight triggers the brain to release the hormone serotonin. It helps us to feel calm and focussed, boosting our mood and reducing anxiety. You could even consider using mirrors to bounce light around a darker room.
Declutter
Studies have found that clutter can raise your level of cortisol, a stress hormone. That may be because clutter delivers conflicting stimuli to the brain, which then has to work harder to filter out unhelpful signals.
Normal levels of cortisol with occasional spikes are perfectly healthy, but chronically high levels of cortisol are associated with anxiety, depression, headaches and sleep disruption.
With this in mind, take the time in your day to organise your rooms. If you are working from home it is even more important – this will help you be more productive and feel less stressed. A tidy desk = a tidy mind!
Exercise
Multiple studies have found that exercise is a natural treatment for anxiety, relieving stress, boosting physical and mental energy, and enhancing well-being through the release of endorphins.
Lockdown is the perfect opportunity to work out what type of exercise suits you. It could be going for a run a couple of evenings a week or doing 20 minutes of yoga every morning. Find out what suits you and stick with it, you will feel great for it in the long run! As Joe Wicks the fitness guru says: “You never regret a workout!”
Social contact…and not just online
People who find themselves unhappy working at home often forget how much their every day conversations with work colleagues helped them stay positive and upbeat.
More of us than we might expect get the majority – maybe 80 or 90% – of our social contact from being at work. So it’s vitally important to do your upmost to make sure you replace this lost interaction.
Lockdown measures allow you to meet up with one other person socially-distanced outside. Make the most of this rule! It doesn’t have to be the same person every time either, so you can still see your friends, just one at a time. See our previous article in the link below which suggests great places to go for a walk around Brighton and Hove.
https://brightonjournal.co.uk/the-five-best-places-to-walk-in-brighton-hove/
