Natalie Quinn-Walker, a Healthcare lecturer in Arden’s Healthcare Management programme, shares her advice to help cope with life in Covid-19 lockdown.
Natalie writes: “Many of us are in lockdown or self-isolation, and many are already beginning to struggle with feeling as though the walls are closing in. There’s a risk of people suffering from mental health issues, loneliness and for many there is also the added pressure of adapting to working from home. The feeling of being cooped-up within our own four walls may be painful, and as a nation, we need to develop ways to ensure our isolation does not cause any lasting damage to our health.”
Here’s Natalie’s top 5 tips on how to cope with lockdown.
Get to grips with home working
Although remote working is a challenge in itself, there are many benefits to working from home. These include the ability to select where we sit and how we sit, so make sure to adopt a good posture. You can also choose how you structure your day: little tasks, such as setting timers, can help in your work progression throughout the day. Once the time is up, you can review what’s been completed, then take a break before getting back to work.
Keep busy
If you are furloughed or unable to work from home, there are other options to keep you busy, such as tackling those jobs around the home you’ve been meaning to get to like cleaning and sorting out those hidden drawers!
Use this time to have a good clear out - it will help clear your mind as you feel you have completed the dreaded task that you have needed to do for some time.
Stay connected with friends and family
Some of us may be alone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t communicate. Engage in online forums and engage in discussion points, remembering to focus on positive things.
Many of us have elderly relatives and friends we’re unable to visit; Skype or Zoom call them or email them if that’s not possible. Share the activities you’re doing with your family so no-one feels like they’re missing out.
Checking in with your loved ones is a must, making sure everything is ok and that that they feel supported despite the distance. Ensuring someone knows that they have someone available to talk to will help us all to ride this out.
Keeping children amused
To keep younger children happy, there are many different teaching resources available. Make their time indoors as fun as possible. Their iPads and the tv shouldn’t be the only thing entertaining them. Consider creating a fitness routine with them, a dance video, make puppets and play hide and seek. Even consider getting out the good old fashion board games that may be lurking in the cupboard. Some families are even acting and creating a play to perform at home. Watch a YouTube video and learn the lyrics to their favourite songs.
You could even attempt to make housework fun for them!
Keep healthy
It’s vital to develop a can-do attitude; listen to the Government’s advice and adopt healthy choices. Through this period, eating a balanced diet is vital to ensure we are meeting all the dietary needs of vitamins and minerals to remain healthy.
However, from seeing all the stockpiling at the supermarkets, understandably, this could be considered a challenging task. Therefore, begin meal prepping, creating a menu and get the children involved. This may help in taking some pressure off as you can see what possibilities you may have lurking in your cupboard or freezer.
Try to drink two litres of water a day, especially as now many of us are going to be less active. Drinking more water will keep you hydrated. Although we may be isolated inside, there are plenty of opportunities for us to keep fit with online fitness classes and workouts.
About Natalie
Natalie Quinn Walker is Blended Learning Tutor (Healthcare Management Programme) at Arden University. She is currently studying for a Ph.D., with a thesis focusing on domestic abuse. You can find her on Twitter @QUINNWA91648884
