If you’re isolated or just feeling anxious about coronavirus, here are some ideas to look after your mental wellbeing:
- Gardening can help tackle depression, stress and anxiety, and reduce high blood pressure, as well as improve your physical health, so it’s a great time to get outside and brighten up your Vegi patch. Or you could try planting some flowers in a window box, growing herbs indoors, or putting out food for the birds where you can watch them from a window.
- Practise relaxation and mindfulness to boost your mood. Follow an NHS yoga workout to improve strength and tackle stress, try this mindful breathing exercise from Every Mind Matters, and read hints and tips on mindfulness from the NHS.
- Research walks you want to do, plan a new cycle route, or get the kids to make a list of new activities they’d like to try.
Mental health charity Mind has put together detailed advice and information on coronavirus and wellbeing.
Mind has information on Mindful Walking: Sometimes it's good to stop and take notice of what is going on around you, and a mindful walk is a great way to do that. You can use this resource to help you complete your own.
Mental Health at Work have pulled together a handy toolkit - Coronavirus and isolation: supporting yourself and your colleagues - which includes a
selection of guides to help you support yourself and your colleagues during this rapidly evolving period.
Healthy Sandwell has lot's of hints and tips.
Dudley Mind have a great web page giving ideas on how to keep your mind healthy whilst at home. Take a look here.
FutureLearn offer courses that will help you manage your mental health and support others who are struggling during lockdown.
They help people develop tools and strategies to improve their mindset and mental wellbeing with their 'Support Your Mental Health In Lockdown' collection.
Take a look at their webpage.
Additional Resources & Help:
Sane Charity
Helpline: Available on 0300 304 7000 from 6pm - 11pm every evening. SANE provides emotional support and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including families, friends and carers.
Big White Wall
A safe online community of people who are anxious, down or not coping who support and help each other by sharing what's troubling them, guided by trained professionals.
Samaritans
Samaritans is available for anyone struggling to cope and provide a safe place to talk 24 hours a day.
Shout
Shout is a 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone struggling to cope and in need of immediate help.
