As my treatment room is temporarily closed, and many of you are now working from home and home educating too, our lifestyles have changed to one we could have never have anticipated just over a week ago.
I have personally found the past week challenging, as I adjust to not working with clients and try to create a positive and fun space at home for everyone to work and study.
As we all adjust to this temporary new way of living, it is important to take care of your well-being too.
Please enjoy my tips on how to take care of you and your family during this time.
Exercise
As you will be less active by not going to work, school or your usual fitness clubs, it is important to find ways to add exercise into your routine. You could try a yoga class on YouTube, the family could take part in the Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, PE with Joe, each day or you could add exercise by enjoying a walk outdoors following the Government’s latest guidelines. I have just started PE with Joe, and realised how unfit I am, so I am going to enjoy improving my fitness levels over the coming weeks and share this time with my family.
Exercise is crucial to taking care of both your mental and physical well-being, so try to add this into your daily routine.
Meditation
If you are feeling anxious about the current health situation, and you are having difficulty sleeping, adding meditation into your routine is a fabulous way to unwind. I like the Headspace and Calm meditations. My colleague and friend Helen Robinson, founder of Gentle Release Therapy also shared a guided meditation, for the Love Reflexology Podcast which you may enjoy – I did this on Monday evening and slept incredibly well.
Control What You Hear/See
If watching the news, seeing the various social media posts and listening to the radio about the current health situation makes you worry and feel anxious, it can help if you reduce the amount of times you hear/see updates each day – you take charge and be in control of when you want to receive updates. It may also help to “snooze” social media pages, or friends who share posts that worry you; don’t feel guilty about this – you have to protect your well-being.
Nutrition
Eating a healthy balanced diet, packed with vegetables and fruit is really important. Eat regular meals, stay hydrated and use supplements to support your well-being if required.
If you have children at home, you could encourage them to get involved with food preparation and incorporate this into their school lessons. For example, if you are following a recipe, encourage them to weigh the ingredients which will use their maths skills. They will be learning new skills, without even realising it!
Plan
Making plans and having things to look forward to is an important part of maintaining a positive mindset. At the moment, you cannot put commitments into your diary, but you could start to plan something special for when this passes. Some of my reflexology clients have purchased reflexology gift vouchers, which they plan to redeem as soon this passes.
You may like to plan a family gathering, ready for when you can start to mix again…you could think about the food you would like to make, do you want to decorate the house to celebrate? Activities, such as this can really help to lift your mood and give you a sense of hope that this will pass.
Make A Difference
Reaching out and making a difference to someone during this time, is a great way to boost your self-esteem and sense of worth, as well as raising the spirits of another person.
You could write a letter to an elderly relative who is in isolation, share a funny story with them and let them know what you have been doing, or call someone who lives alone, to allow them an opportunity to share their day.
These simple acts can make such a positive difference to someone and will also give you a feeling of purpose and sense of worth.
How could you make a difference to someone?
Over the coming weeks, I will share more ideas and tips to support you on my blog, my newsletter and my Facebook and Instagram accounts, whilst you stay at home. I hope they provide some support, humour and helpful resources.
Take care everyone,
Kelly x
If you have any symptoms of Coronavirus, please visit NHS111.
Great post. I’ve been doing all of the above since my treatment room had to close and it’s really helping, if not making me enjoy this time . Good luck to you , keep positive xx
Thank you Rebecca for your kind comment, I am so pleased the tips are helping. Are you re-discovering any old hobbies and interests, during your time off work?