The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, but the ‘stay at home’ rule in England has recently been lifted, meaning the official lockdown has ended, and people can start to leave the house more frequently. This should be a boost to the country’s collective mood, as things seem to be improving – but there are still difficult times ahead. It’s important to find ways to feel good and to improve your mood wherever you can. Here are five small things you can do to keep positive in these difficult times.
1. Get Moving
Exercising every day could have a huge impact on your mood. If you exercise strenuously enough to raise your heart rate, your body will release endorphins – happy hormones – that reduce stress levels and make you feel good.
Find a type of exercise you enjoy and do it regularly. It might be something as simple as lifting small weights, or doing some seated yoga while dinner is in the oven.
Adding a social element is another way to make yourself feel good, so meet up with friends when it’s safe to do so and do some exercise together.
2. Relax!
Exercising is all well and good, but it’s also super important to find time to relax and put your feet up. Life can be busy and stressful, so carve out some time for yourself every week in which you can just do nothing.
It’s not always easy to relax with so much going on, so you might need some extra help. Some people love doing yoga or meditating to help them relax, while others swear by CBD oil. You can buy CBD products at vapecbdworld.com if you want to try them out. See what works for you and find a way to wind down.
3. Phone a Friend
Chatting with loved ones is a great way to boost your mood. By now, a lot of people are sick of Zoom and video chats, so remember, there’s nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned phone call!
Phoning a friend or family member who has been shielding is a great way to show you’re there for them. Don’t worry if you don’t have much to say; even a quick five-minute hello will cheer someone else up, and this will make you feel good too.
4. Have Some Fun
A lot of people are feeling the need to be productive all the time at the moment, but it’s impossible to be forward-thinking all the time. A great way to make yourself feel good is to make an effort to have some fun.
Find any way you can to have fun at home – that might mean digging out some board games to play with the family, playing video games, or listening to podcasts.
Do something you enjoy and make the most of your time at home!
5. Plan Ahead
The restrictions we’re all facing won’t last forever, even if it feels like that sometimes. Use this time to make some plans for the future.
Book a ‘staycation’ somewhere in the UK for the summertime, so you have something to look forward to. This will get you through the moments when you feel low.
It’s more important than ever to look after your mental health and find ways to cheer yourself up. Find out what works for you and keep your spirits up!
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After a few months of not moving much at all I have done my fair share of walking this past week and I do feel better for it. I can see myself walking more to my dad’s and back now the restrictions have been eased.
Great advice x
Kim Carberry recently posted…This week my Word of the Week is: Visit! #WotW
Yes, when it comes to exercise, finding something that you really enjoy is crucial. Many people choose swimming as it’s not such exhausting as other sports. At the same time, swimming has lots of benefits for both mental and physical health: regular swimming improves heart and lung health and trains your body. It has also been shown to improve memory, cognitive function, immune response, and mood.