It’s week 4 of quarantine/lockdown, how are you doing?
To be honest, I am starting to feel the stress of home isolation quite a bit. The news we see on TV is not getting any better, the kids are becoming more and more restless, the food is running out – leaving home to buy groceries is also stressful thinking we might bring the virus home.
The anxiety could be overwhelming.
So, for the first time in 3 weeks, I went out of the house to get some air (don’t worry, I stayed as far away from other people as possible!).
I did not go far, just walked around our block to stretch my legs and clear my mind.
And I started to think, I may not be alone in feeling mentally distressed about all these.
Outbreaks are proven to affect our mental health
In a survey done in March 2020, 51% of young people here in the United Kingdom reported that this pandemic and the new social distancing measures have made their mental health a bit worse. (Statista, March 2020)
And this holds true for people of all ages, whether infected or not, front liners or otherwise. This time of crisis is causing a toll on the overall mental health of the population that Mental Health UK has issued psychological first aid guidance on their site.
The uncertainty, our lack of control, the threat it poses to the people and things we love – all of these are new to us.
Feeling anxious right now is normal.
But just because it’s normal doesn’t mean we have to resign ourselves to it.
How to fight COVID-19 Anxiety?
Since the lockdown, the majority of us are working from home or have even lost income opportunities. This is bound to have an impact on our mental health. So, what can we do to help ourselves during this time?
Here are some ideas:
- Limit your news and social media time.
- Write down your thoughts to keep things in perspective. (this helps me a lot even though I’m not a journal person!).
- Focus your energy on things you can control (like keeping the house tidy and sanitised or as much as you can!)
- Meditate. Meditate. Meditate.
- Keep yourself active with a daily exercise routine.
30-minute exercise each day makes all the difference
Our physical and mental health are undeniably linked. And during this time, staying active matters – yes, even if we don’t feel like it.
By staying at home, it’s simpler to just sit on the sofa all day where it’s comfortable and eat unbalanced meals and junk foods. And with this routine, it’s much easier to fall into anxiety and panic attacks.
Studies have proven that exercising daily, even for just 30-minutes, will boost your mood. Regular exercise helps to ease depression and anxiety by releasing feel-good endorphins and allows you to take your mind off worries.
So, today, I want to share with you an exercise kit to get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts and unhealthy lifestyles.
Let’s get you off the sofa and start moving, shall we?
Contact me to get my FREE Pilates and Yoga kit today.
Here’s what you can expect,
- Exercises can be done at home, no equipment needed
- Don’t worry if you have not tried Pilates or Yoga before, routines provided are easy to follow.
- We will get you started on meditating. Even if you think you can’t meditate!
- We will build your physical and mental strength to cope with everyday stress.
- 10 minutes of strengthening exercise focussed on reducing back ache.
- 10 minute of stretching focussed on stretching out tight muscles from sitting down too much.
- 10 minutes of meditation practice suitable for the complete beginner!
I know these trying times are hard. And it’s harder when so much happens in the world and none of it is within our control.
But I hope this exercise kit can help ease your worries, even for a bit.
If you’re not sure how you can follow the routines on your own and feel like you need more guidance, feel free to send me a message saying more help please.
I will be happy to guide you through it, just send me an email at info@yogakeynsham.com
I am excited to hear from you.