Being kind to yourself during Coronavirus. Some tips on keeping yourself mentally and physically well during this time

There is really no denying that a lot has changed over the past couple of months and none of us really know how long we are going to have to continue living in this altered state. One thing I’ve encountered as a reoccurring theme over the past several weeks is that a vast majority of us are dealing with mental health in some way; whether it be our own, or of those close to us. The current circumstances have brought to the surface not only new challenges for many but have exacerbated pre-existing ones too. Whether you fall into this category yourself, or are supporting someone who does, it is extremely important to be kind to yourself and take care of your physical and mental wellbeing as much as possible. I have decided to share some of my own tips for doing so, with relevant links below that I hope you find helpful.

There is really no denying that a lot has changed over the past couple of months and none of us really know how long we are going to have to continue living in this altered state.

One thing I’ve encountered as a reoccurring theme over the past several weeks is that a vast majority of us are dealing with mental health in some way; whether it be our own, or of those close to us. The current circumstances have brought to the surface not only new challenges for many but have exacerbated pre-existing ones too.

Whether you fall into this category yourself, or are supporting someone who does, it is extremely important to be kind to yourself and take care of your physical and mental wellbeing as much as possible. I have decided to share some of my own tips for doing so, with relevant links below that I hope you find helpful.

Physical health

I’m sure I’m not the only person who has impulse bought a bicycle during this period after seeing how many people have dusted off the old pushy. It has been probably 10 years since I last rode a bike and at first it was something to get used to again, but it really is a great way to move. I’m even going to attempt cycling to work after this!

The City of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie City Council have done some great work on developing the cycleways in the region and I’ve included some links to the respective council’s website’s cycleway maps.

https://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/OnYourBike/Find-Your-Path

https://www.lakemac.com.au/For-residents/Recreation/Cycling

If cycling isn’t your thing or you’d prefer to stick to at home work-outs, there are some great free videos and tools being shared by a lot of businesses at the moment and I will be posting a link to a free at home work-out later this week, so watch this space!

Mental Health

If mental health is something that is a focus for you right now, there are some really great meditation and mindfulness applications in the market at the moment, with a number of them offering free or discounted services during this period.

Headspace is a meditation app and is currently offering a number of free meditations to assist those in need of some guidance through this time – https://www.headspace.com/covid-19

Calm is also a meditation app. You can learn more, or sign up for a 7 day-free trial here if you’re interested – https://www.calm.com/freetrial/plans

Food and its relationship with mental health

It is as equally important to choose carefully what you put into your body while maintaining regular exercise and healthy mind practices. There have been many studies showing that both the gut and brain are ultimately linked, which affects both physical and mental health. You can read more about this here – https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-gut-brain-connection

If you’d like to practice healthier eating or are in need of some new recipe ideas, precision nutrition have published a free online encyclopaedia of food that you can find here – https://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/recipes

It’s so important that we are kind to ourselves right now, not only for our own sake, but so we are able to assist those around us wherever possible too. Stay safe!