There is no telling how long the UK will be in lockdown, as it has been said on many occasions these really are unprecedented times. Many of us would never have experienced anything like this in our generation or even our parent’s generation for that matter. So its completely natural to feel a level of uncertainty or anxiety especially if you have had to face temporarily closing your business, or are particularly worried for friends and relatives which you cannot see.
As it stands we have to take each day as it comes and have faith in the kindness and humanity shown in the community when some days can look pretty gloomy. Now more than ever looking after your mental & physical health is pivotal to making your way through the next few weeks and months ahead, so we have some ideas to help you through isolation and keep your mind and body stimulated.
Some might be obvious but hey, give it a go anyway…
- Limit the amount of media you listen to every day. Some of the great mental health charities in the UK are suggesting limiting yourself to around 5minutes of news every day if you feel like it’s impacting on your health. If it gets too much change it over or turn it off!
- Find 15minutes a day to clear your mind, whether you meditate, pray or just listen to your heartbeat. Allow yourself to let go and focus on the moment. It may sound very hippy but this does wonders for the mind.
- Develop your online presence, now more than ever you have something which we don’t often have…Time, time to work on your brand, time to present the best version of yourself to your clients.
- Declutter- Follow people on Instagram who inspire you, keep your feed insightful and positive, delete those who question your self worth or elicit a negative reaction
- Further your education, If you are a personal trainer there are lots of CPD courses available on sites like https://www.premierglobal.co.uk/ where you can develop your skillset. Times are tough and if upfront payment is not a viable option, explore payment options the company has available to you. Just ask.
- Bake- Now we know some of the essentials in the stores can be hard to come by, but there are websites such as ‘BBC good food’ which feature recipes from bits which can be found in your cupboard or are less difficult to come by in the shops. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/storecupboard-baking
- Find a Podcast which holds your attention. Personally, we are always partial to a good Ted Talk, but here is a list of highly rates podcasts of 2020 to explore for yourself https://shapescale.com/blog/health/best-fitness-podcasts/ https://player.fm/featured/fitness
- Learn a new skill or language. There are sites where you can learn beginner languages for free, such as https://www.duolingo.com/. Or if you have always wanted to learn how to do a handstand, now is the time! I bet there is a youtube video for that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLt5RXhch8E
- Read a book, whether you download it to your fancy phone or tablet, or enjoy the old fashioned feel of the pages, Amazon have their best sellers on hand to prompt inspiration if you are stuck. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Sellers-Books-Fitness-Exercise/zgbs/books/270721
- Keep in touch with friends and family, with the rise of apps like Houseparty and Zoom it has never been easier to connect with loved ones. Oh, and you can play games too.