Lily Mackow-McGuire shares four small steps that she is taking to nourish wellbeing this year and to beat the lockdown blues.
Well, this is quite a start to the new year isn’t it?
After nine months of working from home, I spent the last few weeks of 2020 creating an extraordinary vision of the next year. The vaccine would be here! Rates would plummet! Life would resume and we would laugh over the disaster year of 2020.
Of course, this has not happened. Entering the New Year we are finding COVID-19 now comes in more varieties, which spread even more than the original.
Covid-19.2 the sequel is even less welcome than the original.
So What Should We Do About It?
Well, stay at home, obviously.
But what else are we supposed to do besides do nothing?
Life in lockdown is far from uplifting and can add stress and pressure in new and complex ways. Taking time to focus on personal wellbeing is more important than ever.
For the past couple of weeks, I have been trying four new activities. They aren’t about revolutionizing yourself- gaining a six pack or reading a book a day. They are small and tangible steps to nourish wellbeing and to make each day a little easier.
Here are four ways to care for yourself this new year.
5 Minutes of Journaling a Day.
Journaling has some serious health benefits.
Try writing for a couple of minutes each morning and evening to build the habit. Each morning, answer the following questions in your journal:
- I am grateful for…
- Today, I am looking forward to…
And then in the evening:
- Three things that happened that were good today were…
- Today could have been even better if…
Alternatively, you might try some different questions. There are a whole host of templates and ideas online for inspiration.
Take a Different Walk to Nourish Wellbeing.
Go for a walk, differently.
Try at a different time, or treat yourself while you’re at it.
Lots of us have got into the routine of going for a walk each day, but that can get old. To mix it up and to keep your scenery different, try walking at different times. Whether that’s an early morning walk or a walk at lunchtime, a different time can make your local area feel a bit different.
If you are feeling a little low on motivation, I am a big fan of treating yourself. Grab a coffee or croissant for an early morning walk or a hot chocolate if you’re going in the evening, and that walk becomes quite appealing.
Chat with Loved Ones, in a Way that Works for You.
When I feel a bit low, I find my WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger only adds to that feeling. As a result, I become pretty bad at replying or arranging phone calls with friends and family.
If you’re similar, one suggestion I have found useful is to respond to notifications for ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the evening. The rest of the day leave your phone alone.
It helped me connect with my friends better when I did reply, because I had the energy and motivation to respond fully without being distracted by my phone.
Avoid Distractions to Nourish Wellbeing.
With doomscrolling now very much a word, I try to stay off my phone more.
If you have an iPhone, you can set limits on all your apps that require a password to unlock once you’ve reached the limit.
Another suggestion is to check out the app Forest. When you want to stay focused, you plant a seed. Then, as you leave your phone alone that seed grows into a tree. If you go on your phone during your set focused time, the tree will die. You hopefully end up growing a forest and even better, when you have grown enough trees, the app plants a real tree for you! (Note, the app isn’t totally free- it costs £1.99 to download.)
Small Steps for a Big Year.
These are four steps I am trying.
After four weeks, I can report back that it’s helping.
Timing a walk with calling a friend means I am speaking to the people I love often. The Forest app is saving me from procrastination. Journaling has reminded me that life doesn’t stand still during a pandemic, it just changes. There are still good bits and bits that could be better.
If you like the look of any of these steps, join me! Or, set your own little steps to bring a smile to your day.
If you do just one thing, it’s to remember to look after yourself.
