5 Ways To Stay Sane(ish) During Covid 19

This post may not be relevant to everyone, I am based in the UK where we are currently in a state of lock-down and are advised not to leave our homes unless it is absolutely essential, meeting with friends is prohibited and many businesses are closed by government order.

We are currently experiencing unprecedented times, for the first time in our generation we are being called to work together for a larger cause. All of us doing our bit for the good of others: There are those on the front line, the ones desperately trying to fight this virus. Then there are the ones still working making sure we have the essential supplies we need and trying to keep things normal. And then there are the rest of us, the ones who have been told to stay at home, to isolate from others in order to stop the disease from spreading. Sounds easy right? To just stay at home for an indefinite period of time, but the reality of losing your routine and the freedoms we take for granted could have a negative effect on mental health.

So here are just a few of the things I have been doing to try to keep me on track.

1. Getting up, getting dressed and making the bed

2. Giving myself a daily to do list

3. Growing something

4. Moving my body and stilling my mind

5. Do something creative
   

1. Getting up, getting dressed and making the bed The first few days after the Prime Minister of the UK told residents to stay at home, to only leave for essential trips I acted as though it was a holiday. I slept in late, watched TV in bed and was generally being pretty lazy. After a few days I noticed I was feeling more and more sluggish, I was less inclined to do things around the house and so I decided to start treating my day as if I was still going to work. By making my bed, feeling fresh and making the effort of changing my appearance it has helped me feel more energetic and motivated to do something with my day.

2. Giving myself a daily to do list This has been hugely helpful for keeping my mind occupied and my days productive. In my work life a ‘To Do’ list is essential, otherwise I am forever forgetting things and not doing things in order of priority. In the early days of lock-down I would find myself constantly drifting back to different news outlets and social media. Constantly scrolling to simply distract myself, but this wasn’t helping (in fact I would make limiting time on social media and reading news another priority) as all it did was increase my anxiety. So now every morning I write a list of at least 10 things I want to achieve that day, this means I get things done, my mind has a focus and I have a sense of achievement, even if it is just small things.

My to-do list doesn’t have to be extensive or overly exacting. Some days I will put larger things like re-organise the spare room, but putting the small things like exercise, put washing away or mop floors etc has helped me stay on top of things around the house (after all a tidy space is a tidy mind) and keep that feeling of accomplishment that I would get at work. Both are good for positive mental health.

3. Growing something I have always enjoyed growing my own vegetables, it gives me great satisfaction to harvest them and eat them fresh. I also understand that I am lucky enough to have a garden in order to do that, but even before we moved to the country and all I had was a small balcony I would still grow some simple vegetables in pots. The germinating and watering are small tasks that give me something to do every day, watching them grow and seeing how they changed fascinates me and using them in cooking later in the year gives me a sense of pride. Now I am not saying you have to go outdoors in your wellies or even create a container garden, but just growing some herbs on the window sill will create a feeling of achievement.

4. Moving my body and stilling my mind This one is fairly obvious (especially as a yoga practitioner) but moving your body through yoga, dance, running or whatever takes your fancy i) takes up time ii) gives you endorphins iii) keeps your body physically healthy and strong. This will have a positive effect on your mental health, however it is through meditation that you will discover the quiet of the mind and a longer feeling of peace and tranquility. YouTube is a great source for free material, my favourites include Boho Beautiful and Brett Larkin. There are lots of different meditations you can try, if you are new to meditation or are feeling particularly anxious then I would recommend a guided meditation as it helps to prepare you and calm the mind. Other options include using a mala (click here to see my post about using Malas), Pranayam (breathing exercises) or simply sitting still and letting your mind clear. Remember it is natural for your mind to wander, to think of other things, the role of meditation is to allow you to be the observer of these thoughts and to chose to ignore them and come back to stillness.

5. Do something creative For me creativity is a way of expressing yourself or engaging your imagination, whether that is artistically through music, drawing, painting and writing or other ways such as cooking, gardening, making something or even learning something new. Even reading a good book is a way to take part in creativity. Like with the ‘To Do’ list you don’t have to do some huge task every day, after all you don’t want it to feel like a chore but being able to express yourself at a time when contact with others and small freedoms are limited can only help to make you feel a little more you.

These are just 5 of the things that have helped me, I hope the can help you too.