October 10th is World Mental Health Day, and while this is a long-established annual event that raises awareness of mental health issues around the world, the Covid pandemic of the last 18 months has brought the topic into sharp focus for many more of us than before. Our lovely team of caregivers have been helping our clients and each other to remain upbeat despite the numerous challenges we have all faced, and as a result, we have learned some things we can all do to help ourselves and those we care for as we cope with the ups and downs of life during challenging times. I thought I’d share a few of them this week.
What sort of things are people struggling with?
Most of the experts agree that the pandemic has affected the mental health of many across all the age groups, as feelings of loneliness, uncertainty about the future, and general stress and anxiety has increased – whether about the health risks directly, or wider issues that have been exacerbated by the crisis, such as job uncertainty, financial issues or strained relationships with loved ones.
So, what can you do to help yourself cope?
Here are some tips that have a positive impact on people both during times of ‘lockdown’ and since restrictions have been eased. Balancing the urge to resume ‘normal life’ and social interaction with absolutely valid concern about the ongoing health situation & continuing spread of infection can be a real worry.
In general, keeping a good routine and paying good attention to your diet, sleep routine and getting regular exercise are all every bit as valid as they ever were for mental health (not just physical). Have a think about how you can:
• Keep active, even if you are at home. If you are nervous about getting out and about to the extent you used to, remember there are lots of exercises that you can do at home – YouTube is full of exercise videos for people of all ages and abilities.
• Find other things to do to keep your mind busy and stimulate the brain. Resuming or starting a new hobby can be a great way to keep your mind off things that are worrying you, as doing things you enjoy encourages the brain to release endorphins that ease anxiety.
• Keep a good structured daily routine and remember that if your routine has changed from before all this started, it could affect your fluid intake and diet – so remember to keep hydrated and eat regular healthy balanced meals.
• Sleep well. Stress and anxiety can have an impact on your sleep, but by doing some of the things above can help you maintain a healthy sleep pattern for you. Try to relax more, chatting with friends and family (whether face to face, on the phone, or via technology like video calls), and finding interests to occupy your mind can all help ease worries and help you sleep well. And we all know that we don’t operate well when tired.
More information?
These are just some of the things you can do to help yourself. But organisations like Mind, the Mental Health Foundation and the NHS have a lot of additional tips and advice. Meanwhile, here at Right at Home, the most highly recommended home care company in the Reading & Wokingham areas, we continue to focus a lot of our time on supporting our own CareGivers as well as our clients during these challenging times.
For more info on our services or on job opportunities visit our website, check us out on Facebook, or simply call on 0118 207 0600
Kevin Lancaster
Right at Home Reading & Wokingham District
