Whether we like it or night COVID-19 self isolation and quarantine is here for the long/short haul and for mums with kids home 24/7, you might be wondering how you are going to survive lockdown with the family.
New information is being updated daily by the State and Federal Governments but it was announced this week, that in NSW lockdown will occur for at least 90 days. So basically we are looking at least until the end of June before we can venture out of our house for anything other than groceries, work/school and exercise unless the cases of COVID-19 increase.
So how to we keep our mental health on track self isolating with family members for three months??
DOs
Find an escape space
Do you have a room in the house you can give yourself a 30 minute time out? We all need somewhere to go where we can clear our head escape the intensity of living on top of each other. If you can go to a room, let your family know you are having 30 minutes undisturbed time out. A good book, a movie or just some rest is perfect to bring the stress levels down. This means no one can interrupt you unless an emergency occurs (however as we all know, to children everything is an emergency) so it might be best to take yourself outside. A cup of tea in the garden on your own gives you back your head space you need each day.
Exercise
Exercise is the best way to escape the house at the moment given the stringent lockdown rules. It not only gives us the physical activity we need each day for our bodies health, it also a great way to clear the head and good for our mental health.
Physical activity can do so much to our physical well being including; better sleep, sharper memories, and can also have an impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more.
You can reap all the physical and mental health benefits of exercise with 30-minutes of moderate exercise five times a week. Two 15-minute or even three 10-minute exercise sessions can also work just as well.*
So a daily walk or ride are perfect as it gets you out of the house which is also a great escape space from the family.
Stay connected
With self-isolation in place and not being able to catch up with your friends for some social activities, it is even more important to ensure you are staying connected. With more people working from home there has been a dramatic increase in ZOOM downloads, but the security of this platform has since been questioned. There are many other options to speak to your friends face to face including skype, facetime, facebook messenger and Houseparty.
Houseparty allows up to eight people to share the same chat and go between mutal friends chats. After the chat begins, you’ll be able to choose from a number of games to play including Heads Up, Trivia, Quick Draw, and more. Houseparty is available on Android, iOS, iPadOS, and MacOS. You might even catch a Royal or two on there….
Learn something new
How many times have you always wanted to try something new? A new language perhaps or a more creative project such as painting or crochet. It’s the ideal time to add to your personal skill set. Youtube is the most obvious ‘how to’ platform but the longer we have to stay at home you see more businesses going online with some FREE tutorials for your pleasure. If you want something a little more structured and longer in duration, Masterclass is a paid platform where you learn from the experts. Learn how to cook with Gordon Ramsey, become the funny one with tips from Steve Martin, or master your tennis game with Serena Williams.
De-clutter
They say the best way to de-clutter the mind is to de-clutter your living space. Use this time to sort out your house making it less cluttered and more spacious. Pack things away you don’t use, clean out your wardrobe and find all those lids to the tupperware you have lost all this time. This is a good time to get the jobs done that we keep putting off because we don’t have the time to do them. Grab some boxes and put things aside to sell when lockdown is over.
DON’Ts
It is so easy to get stuck in a rut being at home on your own or with your family and therefore easy to fall into some bad habits. Try NOT to;
- Stare at screens all day whether it’s TV or electronic devices. Take breaks from the digital world and try and get outside for some time out.
- Turn to the fridge or the bottle. It’s so tempting to turn to food through boredom and to alcohol to unwind or cope. But too much of both could be detrimental to your health and moderation is key during the lockdown period.
Mental health could very likely suffer during this isolation period so should you feel the need to talk to someone to get through this period, seek help immediately by contacting beyondblue.org.au.
