Phew, finally, it’s February! The New Year heralded a new set of lockdown restrictions and the Government asked us to stay at home … again. For many of us, our homes have become places of work and education. So whether you’re taking care of business from home; looking after your children and supporting their home learning or looking for work – chances are, you’re spending quite a bit of time online or staring at a screen.
With the onset of a cold, dreary winter; school & business closures and continued uncertainty, you would be forgiven for lacking motivation and falling back on old habits that you broke during the last Lockdown. Feels a bit ‘Groundhog Day’, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, some of these old habits can have a detrimental effect on your health and well-being.
We have a glimmer of hope in the UK’s testing and vaccine strategy, but that isn’t going to impact on the majority of the population until later in the year … so what can we do in the meantime to continue to look after ourselves and our families, whilst spending more time in the home?
Public Health England has just launched the ’Every Mind Matters’ campaign, (and if you can bare looking at another website, we think it’s well worth a look). If you’re an employer with staff working from home, it offers some useful strategies that you could discuss with your workforce. You can also contact us on 01785 501750 for more information about our Mental Health First Aid Training course.
‘Every Mind Matters’ suggests seven strategies to help us cope with the continued lockdown and better manage working from home:
- Set & stick to a daily routine
- Make a dedicated workspace
- Give yourself regular breaks
- Stay connected with friends, families, work colleagues and neighbours
- Set boundaries with members of your household
- Think longer term
- Be kind to yourself
No one is immune from stress, anxiety or loneliness. A new survey, commissioned by Public Health England (PHE) at the start of the current government restrictions, reveals the impact coronavirus (COVID-19) has had on adults’ mental wellbeing across the country.
So whilst you’re taking care of business….who’s taking care of you?
If you’re feeling concerned, worried, stressed or low, or if you are worried about someone you know contact The Staffordhsire Mental Health Helpline on 01782 406000.