• 29 January 2021

• Mental Health tags

7 Ways To Look After Your Mental Wellbeing At Home

Taking time to look after your mind as well as your body is really important. If you, like many, are staying at home due to COVID-19 you may feel anxious, bored, lonely and frustrated at being stuck at home. It’s vital to remember that it’s OK to feel this way and that everyone responds differently to the situation we find ourselves in. Here are 7 ways you can look after mental wellbeing whilst being at home:

1. Connect with others

Maintaining healthy relationships with people you trust is important for your mental wellbeing. Think about how you can stay in touch with friends and family while you are at home – by phone, messaging, video calls or online – whether it’s people you usually see often, or reconnecting with old friends or neighbours. Keeping connected will make you feel better.

2. Talk about your worries

It is quite common to feel worried, scared or helpless about the current situation. Remember, it is OK to share your concerns with others you trust – doing so could help them too. Or you could try a charity helpline or webchat.

3. Look after your body

Our physical health really affects how we feel. Try to make sure you and your family eat healthy, well-balanced meals, drink enough water and exercise regularly. Avoid smoking or drugs, and try not to drink too much alcohol. It can be easy to fall into unhealthy patterns of behaviour that end up making you feel worse. Get outside for a walk or a run if you can (while strictly adhering to social distancing protocols), or try one of the nhs follow-along home-workout videos.

4. Do not stay glued to the news

Try to limit the time you spend watching, reading or listening to coverage of the outbreak, including on social media. Use trustworthy sources – such as GOV.UK or the NHS website – and fact-check information from the news, social media or other people.

5. Find ways to occupy your time

Make an effort to focus on your favourite hobby if it is something you can still do at home. If not, pick something new to learn at home. Give your home a ‘spring clean’; create a new game; fix things that need mending; and keep active! Spending time doing activities we love

6. Take time to relax

This can help with difficult emotions and worries, and improve our wellbeing. Relaxation techniques and mindfulness can also help deal with feelings of anxiety.

7. Look after your sleep

Good-quality sleep makes a big difference to how we feel, so it’s important to get enough. Try to maintain your regular sleeping pattern and stick to good sleep practices.

Emergency Contact Numbers:
Samaritans freephone: 116 123 (24 hours)
Blaby District Council Domestic Abuse Outreach Co-ordinator: 0116 272 7637
Anxiety UK: 03444 775 774 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm)
CALM (for men 15-35): 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight)
Rethink mental Illness: 0300 5000 927 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm)
Refuge (advice on dealing with domestic violence): 0808 2000 247 (24-hour helpline)