It is very easy to feel anxious about what is going on in the world at the moment. Here’s some ways to keep your mind happy & healthy:
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Only watch or read the news once a day. You might watch the 6 o’clock or the 10 o’clock news so you are involved with the outside world and understand the government rules, but don’t let it run the day. If this is making you really anxious reduce to once or twice a week. You should always get your updates from reliable sources too
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Get some fresh air. Make use of your 1 x daily exercise trip, even if it’s just walking or driving to the shop for your essentials. You could go for a walk, a run or a cycle. You could sit in your garden, on the balcony or even just have the window open to let the air in, depending on what you’ve got & of course your safety. You can always layer up if it feels chilly
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Contact your friends & family via text, Whatsapp, email, Facetime, Zoom, Skype, Houseparty, or just pick up the phone. It’s amazing how others can lift your mood!
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Limit your time on social media – you can actually set a limit on your phone. It will tell you when time is up and then you should think about doing some other hobbies or house work. Here’s some ideas to keep you busy:
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Wash & dry your laundry. If it’s nice outside, you could always hang the washing out
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Do the ironing & put clothes away in rightful place
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Give your pet a bath & clean their bedding. Clean their teeth, brush hair & clip toes
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Give yourself a bath! Enjoy relaxing
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Do some drawing/painting/crafts
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Read books or magazines/listen to an audio book/write a letter, book, diary, memories, to do list
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Listen to or play some music. This can alter your mood hugely!
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Have a look online to see if there’s a new hobby you could take up and what you’ll need to get you started. You can order bits online rather than leaving the house to buy them
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Plant some seeds in your kitchen or if you have a garden. Read up on what you’re planting so you can learn to give it the love and care it needs to grow
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Weeding, neatening up hedges or bushes. Cut the grass & sweep the patio or driveway
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Learn something – find an online course, or a how-to book/YouTube channel -there’s loads! Perhaps you’d like to learn a new language?
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DIY – hang pictures, fill walls, paint window sills, mend door handles etc.
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Clean the house – wipe surfaces in the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, all the skirting boards and stairs if you have any. Hoover & mop the floors. Dust the blinds/curtains. Polish windows & television screens. Polish ornaments, and any brass, silver & gold. Clean your front door with hot soapy water. Pressure wash the patio/decking.
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Tidy out the shed/garage/loft/annex/under the bed. Clean & organise before putting back
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Sort some old clothes out and create a pile for charity or other family members/neighbours. You might be able to sell them on eBay or Depop.
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Clean shoes/wellies/outdoor shoes
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Mend clothes. Loose buttons or stitching. Sew up wholes
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Organise your paperwork or emails. Bills, finances, junk, recycling etc.
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Think of ways you can save money. Compare insurance, subscriptions or competitive suppliers. Alter the programming on your washing machine, heating, hot water
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Cook/Bake
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Enjoy your meals. Don’t rush them. Appreciate the taste & flavours
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Sort out the kitchen cupboards & the fridge/freezer. Empty & clean to begin. Go through all your herbs & spices, tins, bags of pasta or rice, check the bread bin. You could always write a list of what you’ve got and when it goes out of date. This is a good starting point for some meal planning. Organise the cupboards. You might want to use baskets, bags or boxes to help with this
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Wash & clean your car/bike
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Complete a home workout whether it be a HIIT, yoga, pilates and much more. Make it a minimum of 30 minutes. There’re loads of inspiration via apps, or you may have saved some influencers workouts. Keeping active is really important as it releases endorphins, splits up the day & meal times to stop you snacking
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Look through old photographs & videos
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Watch a series. This doesn’t need to be viewed in one sitting! Split the episode into days so there’s something to look forward to each evening
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Brainstorm ideas. This might be places in the world you want to visit, your bucket list, what you want to make, a business plan?
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Have a nap. Listen to your body, it might be the only time you’ve had to take things slow