Many people have found this lockdown even more challenging than the others - they are feeling hopeless, fed up, and are stuck in a rut of negativity. Although it is very normal for you to feel like this, I hope doing the things on this list may help you feel a bit brighter and help your cope a little better than before.
Say yes more often!
If you find yourself turning down more & more social invites this lockdown, you may be too settled into a lockdown routine (although routine is good, don't let it hold you back). Remember back in the spring, despite the lockdown, your social calendar was packed with pub quizzes and virtual this & that? All those events likely helped you through and made you feel much better. So let's get back some of that energy and start saying 'yes!' to more social activities.
Chase the sunlight.
One of the things that made lockdown number 1 so much more manageable was the lovely long sunny days we had. Although the sun is unlikely to return for a while, getting yourself outdoors as much as possible during the daylight hours can still boost your mood, sleep and concentration massively.
Get moving in a way that suits you.
Lots of my clients have been really enjoying walking over lockdown, and why not? If it’s something you enjoy, go for it! If not, don’t worry about it. There’s more exercise being offered online than ever before, so take advantage of it - from boxing to HIIT, or yoga & dance. At TNA, we have kept our members on their toes throughout lockdown with a variety of online workouts and challenges so they’ll never be bored - plus it’s more fun for me to coach as well!
Get cooking!
Find the joy in cooking and it can become a fun activity rather than a chore. Eating home-cooked food will also leave you feeling much more nourished than takeaways or processed food. Get the kids involved and your family too, if possible. You could have a cook-off or put on themed nights? Bake banana bread if you have to! To keep it fun and light, limit your time in the kitchen to a max of 30 mins. The recipes I give my clients take between 15 and 20 mins from start to finish.
Don’t put so much pressure on yourself.
Women have such a lot on their plates at the moment so you’re going to make mistakes, forget something important, miss a deadline - and that’s ok! Be proud of everything else you’ve achieved over the past few chaotic weeks.
Keep an eye on your blood sugars.
After working with 100s of women, I noticed that blood sugars have a much bigger impact than most women realise. They impact our mood, energy levels, food choices, sleep ( & more!) whether you’re diabetic or not. Try to keep your blood sugar levels as balanced as possible by not overwhelming your body with refined sugar foods. Check out last week’ s blog for some low sugar swap ideas here. Remember if your blood sugars are balanced, you will feel more calm, energised and motivated - win win!
Limit screen time as much as possible.
I know I’m definitely guilty of doing this myself but try not to sit on your phone, laptop, tablet etc for hours on end. Ironically, we often reward ourselves after a long day of staring at a computer by staring at another screen. But when I spend too much time reading/watching the news or scrolling through social media, it often leaves me feeling quite negative and down. While binging a bit of netflix is fine every now and again, try to mix up what you do during your down time. You could try Yoga? Meditation? Reading? Podcasts or audiobooks? Whatever you like.
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