Top Tips to Keep in Mind During Lockdown
1. Stay Active
Make the most of your one hour of exercise per day by getting outside and going for a walk or run around your suburb. Often when we walk along a street we usually drive along, you’ll notice things that you never paid attention to before! Say hello to your neighbours when you’re out and about too, this can help create a sense of community.
If you prefer to work out indoors, there are plenty of resources out there for you to access. Check out some of our online workouts and classes over on our Move It UWA webpage!
Exercise can help break up your day. If you’ve spent hours at your desk or on the couch, get up and have a quick stretch. We guarantee that you’ll be feeling revitalised in no time! Physical activity can also help your mental and emotional wellbeing. Seriously, SO many benefits!
2. Make time for yourself
While you’re at home, make some time to spend with yourself. Put your phone down and turn your focus to some of your hobbies! If you’re musically gifted, spend an hour or so having a jam on your instrument of choice. There are plenty of karaoke tunes on YouTube you can access to give your vocal chords a workout too! If music isn’t really your thing but you like to get crafty, get stuck into making some creations or start a new passion project.
This is also a good time to focus on building on your skills or learning something new. Invest in yourself and start that self-development course you’ve always been keen to try. There are so many out there!
Take care of yourself by cooking homemade meals. Carefully planned shopping can help you get excited to cook meals throughout the week. Plus you may find that you’re less likely to pick up unhealthy options because you’ve planned ahead.
3. Be Kind
During this time, it’s important to remember that everyone is going through their own personal battles. It’s not difficult to show kindness to others, not just during lockdown, but always.
In 2020, we saw teddies appear in windows for children to find on their walks with parents, neighbourhoods dressing up to take the bins out, etc. Try and be creative with what you can share with the people in your area.
Show random acts of kindness to strangers in whatever way you can (keeping in mind social distancing rules).
Often, showing kindness to others can also make yourself feel good too.
4. Stay connected
Even though we should be keeping our distance physically from each other, doesn’t mean we can’t remain connected with our friends and family. Staying connected is important for our mental and emotional wellbeing. Keep in contact with those in your support network and don’t be afraid to reach out if you need to talk to someone.
If you know someone who might be struggling during this time, reach out to them and give them a call to check in and see how they’re doing.
Create zoom quizzes for your catch ups with your crew to incorporate some fun. There are online resources you can access for free to play games with others too! One of our favourites at UWA Sport is Scribbl (https://skribbl.io/).
If you or anyone you know is going through a rough time at the moment, here is a list of organisations you can reach out to:
Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
Mind Australia https://www.mindaustralia.org.au/
Black Dog Institute: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/
Head to Health: https://headtohealth.gov.au/
Headspace: https://headspace.org.au/
Lifeline: www.lifeline.org.au/
Mensline Australia: www.mensline.org.au/
5. Be Adaptable
This season of lockdown will bring about some change. While change can be uncertain, crazy and challenging, it does have a silver lining. Change can teach our body to combat stress!
If change makes you feel anxious and the uncertainty of what might happen clouds your mind, try breaking down each thing you are worried about and think about how this might bring about something positive instead.
We saw how adaptable we can be in 2020. Going from face to face lectures and tutorials to online lectures and tutorials, being able to bring our workplaces home, supporting each other in new and creative ways, finding enjoyment in the little things and so much more! As tough as it was, we got through it and we can do it again!
References
Conville, N., 2020. Building healthy routines after lockdown | HCF. [online] Hcf.com.au. Available at: <https://www.hcf.com.au/health-agenda/body-mind/mental-health/how-to-change-daily-routine-after-lockdown> [Accessed 2 February 2021].
Cook, J., 2020. 6 Lockdown Habits To Keep. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/sites/jodiecook/2020/06/09/lockdown-habits-to-keep/?sh=171832842f5d> [Accessed 2 February 2021].
Health.qld.gov.au. 2020. Six healthy habits you should hold on to post-pandemic. [online] Available at: <https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/news/healthy-habits-to-hold-on-to-after-pandemic-queensland-health-covid-coronavirus> [Accessed 2 February 2021].
Liotta, M., 2020. COVID-19, healthy habits and emotional wellbeing. [online] NewsGP. Available at: <https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/covid-19-healthy-habits-and-emotional-wellbeing> [Accessed 2 February 2021].
Retailworld Resourcing. n.d. Life after lockdown - the habits we should keep. [online] Available at: <https://www.retailworldresourcing.com/blog/postid/124/life-after-lockdown-the-habits-we-should-keep> [Accessed 2 February 2021].
Vichealth.vic.gov.au. 2020. Taking healthy habits from lockdown into ‘COVID normal’. [online] Available at: <https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/be-healthy/taking-healthy-habits-from-lockdown-into-covid-normal#> [Accessed 2 February 2021].