...BREATHE - 10 TIPS: HOW TO TAKE A BREAK FROM COVID-19

Outfit

Playsuit - Pretty Little Thing

Sandals - Zara

Earrings - Dalston Market

And breathe. Before you read on I want you to take two mins, be still and concentrate on breathing in and out very slowly... At the moment everything feels very surreal and we are faced with a new reality that as a society feels quite scary, uncertain and that we are not used to. Covid-19 has literally turned the world upside down and claimed the lives of so many people, bankrupted businesses, job losses, created financial worry and forced all of us to isolate until the virus slows down. Now more than ever it is imperative for us to look after our mental health, many people are faced with the reality of having to be still and face themselves like they never have before. The term 'We are in this together' has never been more accurate than it is now, in this post I want to offer you ten tips to help you get through this time or at least get you through the day if you are struggling.

1.) Turn off the News and Social Media

It may sound obvious but this one can actually be quite difficult to do because literally every where you look, every time you turn on the TV and every time you go on social media you are constantly bombarded with news, conspiracy theories and images of how bad things are getting. Although I understand it is important to be in tune with what is going on, it is not healthy to consume this information all the time - you will drive yourself insane, please do not do this. If the news or social media is giving you anxiety TURN IT OFF for the day, watch something funny or read that book that you've been wanting to get started on for a while, sometimes you need to tune out and put your mental health first.

2.) Sit in the garden (If you have access to one)

Since being in quarantine I've been spending a lot more time in the garden. Being in the house all the time can feel claustrophioic, but just changing the scenery and taking a mat out
to the garden and just laying
down and looking up at the sky
and trees can completely
transform your mood and lift your
 spirits.

3.) Prayer / Meditation

Prayer is something my family and I have always done together and more so now that we are in quarantine, however I also like to pray and meditate by myself, being spiritually grounded at a time like this and connecting to God or your higher source and tapping into your faith is so important. I love to do this outside because if I am having a day where I am feeling down, then closing my eyes, breathing in and out and focusing on just what is a around me brings me back to the present moment, I am literally only paying attention to what is infront of me and realising that right now although Covid-19 has reeked havoc and 

disrupted our lives,

I have a family that loves me, 

food in the cupboard, a roof over my head, good health, and at the moment that is all that matters.

4.) Order a painting or colouring book

Aside from the being really fun and you getting to create some amazing artwork at the end of it, colouring can lower stress levels and release feelings of relief and reduce feelings of stress. If you have some paints as home, get them out and get messy, do an abstract piece, paint until your heart is content.

5.) Rediscover Old Hobbies

You know all of those things that you've always wanted to do, but never had the time to do them, well now is a good time to revisit those hobbies or passions. For me I have started blogging, filming Youtube content more regularly, I've started reading a lot more and writing. My mom is baking, my dad has taken out his keyboard and has been practising everyday, your hobbies help you to focus on other things outside of your job.

6.) Listen to music

I believe listening to music is

 good for the soul. The other day

I was feeling very overwhelmed

and anxious and I put on a song 

called 'Old Soul' by Bruno Major, then played D'Angelo 'Found My Smile Again' went straight into listening to some gospel music by Fred Hammond, and immediately my whole body just relaxed and my mind felt settled.

7.) Keep a diary / journal

Journaling is something I used to do a lot up until the age of about 21 and then stopped for a while, but since quarantine I have found writing very therapeutic. Your thoughts can often get jumbled in your mind which can cause an over load of anxiety, writing things down can help to untangle those thoughts and seeing things out of your head and down on paper can bring clarity on how to solve some issues because you can see it clearly. Other times its just about blowing off some steam and getting it out, you can either keep your journal, or if you want too you can write things down and then rip it up, what ever makes you feel better - do that.

8.) Work out at home 

This is the one that I have been doing as much as I can. Before quarantine I was in the gym at my legs bums and tums class three times a week. At first I found the adjustment very difficult because I love going to the gym not only to keep fit, but to also keep my mental health in check and keep me energised. As a freelancer when you don't have work or you have a quiet period you have to find ways to keep yourself upbeat and going to the gym is how I do that. Now what I do is after my meditation I go straight into doing workout videos that I find on Youtube and sometimes I Zoom call my friends in on a 3 way call so that we can work out together and encourage each other. 

9.) Check in with family & friends.

In times like these we must check up on each other, isolating can feel lonely but we need to remember that we are not alone, and now more than ever we need to look out for each other, a phone call or a text can make a huge difference to some one else's day and your own day.

10.) Structure your day with a goals list

For a lot of people their daily routine has been completely disrupted and they are struggling with the lack of structure and feeling useful.  If you are a person who likes routine, then set a list of goals for the day and set times of the day that you would like to complete them by e.g: 

7:00am - Mediate / Pray

7:30am - Work out / exercise

8:30am - Eat Breakfast

9:00am - Go and sit in the garden

9:40am - Read a book

11:00am - Check in with a friend 

/ family member

11:30am - Play a game

12:30 pm - Hobbies

2:30pm - Have some lunch

3:00pm - Watch a film

5:00pm - Read a book

6:00pm Watch a film

8:00pm - Have some dinner

9:00pm - Write in your Journal

This is just an example but just having a list of mini goals can make you feel accomplished or like you have something you can aim towards or focus on.

As we stay in doors the main thing I want everyone to focus on is just taking time to rest, some times we always want something to do, but we will never get this amount of time again to just be still, rest and reflect and to do some real soul searching, be comfortable in our own company, or just to relax for a while. We don't need to be productive every single day, we don't always need too put that pressure on ourselves to show the world that we have it all together and still be making 'boss moves'. This time is about YOU, so what ever YOU need to do to make yourself feel better and get through this time then do that without fear of judgement or guilt.

I hope whoever reading this has found this useful, stay safe, stay in doors, wash your hands, and remember you are FABULOUS DARLING! :) XX