2020 isn’t an easy year and this is not a simple moment in time for anyone, anywhere in the world.
But there may be some simple changes you can make in your environment and day to day life to give yourself a quick and easy mental health boost.
The stress and negative effects of Covid-19 are not discriminatory – everyone is feeling them.
But there are ways you may be unknowingly making yourself feel worse during what is already a super tough time. Reversed, there are simple and easy tips here that can make you feel so much better on a daily basis.
Let There Be Light
Natural light is the best way to raise your serotonin levels and therefore your mood.
If you are working from home ( or the office) you work space should ideally be near a window where you can see outside, and also a large enough window to let in plenty of light.
If this is not possible, you need to schedule regular walks outside during your working day as often as you can.
Incidental Exercise
Even if you have managed to go back to your pre-covid work-out routine, the incidental exercise we all did before the pandemic has largely dropped away at worst or at best has been greatly reduced. This is not your fault.
Almost everyone’s routines have changed, so you may have to schedule in some incidental exercise such as walking to work, parking further away from your meeting locations or buying a shopping trolley and walking to the supermarket.
Walking really does help you feel – and potentially look better.
Taking ownership of your mornings
Jump onto any self-help website or read a book on self improvement and the morning is the way you shape your day and set yourself up to get the most out of it.
And for goodness sake make your bed every day. In addition, meditation, exercise, gratitude lists, journaling, and reading are just some of the ways to kick start your day on a positive note.
Colour
What are the colours in your world? The colours you wear and surround yourself with can make a huge difference to how you feel.
Look at your bed sheets – white is a great fresh energy colour to lift your mood. Busy patterns or dark hues can bring you down.
Look at what you have on the walls of your bedroom – uplifting bright images can help you fell uplifted, and garage sales are a great place to find new wall hangings and can be a lot of fun.
Tidy Up
Living and working in an organised environment can help you feel as if you are in control, which can calm you and intern boost your mood. And lets face it, locating things in a clean, organised setting is so much easier.
Fresh Flowers
Fresh herbs in the kitchen or garden or a simple bunch of fresh flowers can make you feel fabulous. Especially if they are fragrant. Flowers and plants come from the earth, and that groundedness can make us all feel better.
I love lilies for a lift, and roses to indulge. Flower markets have flowers at affordable prices, and add in a bunch of greenery to help them last longer.
Progress
Taking note of your progress is always a positive way to remind yourself you are moving forwards and life is getting better.
Whether you choose a personal diary or write memos on your phone, it is easy to forget how well and how quickly you are moving in the right direction.
Every small achievement counts from eating healthier, to exercising, regularly speaking to friends and reducing or letting go of any bad habits.
Kindness
Acts of kindness for people around you will make you feel better too. And these don’t have to be wild, grand gestures or cost a cent. Look around at the people in your apartment building or on your street -even a simple hello can lift their – and your mood.
Friends
Now is definitely the time to find forgiveness, and reach out to you friends as much as possible to connect. You might not need it, but chances are they will, especially if they live alone. A zoom catch up, kind e-mail, or even a card in the mail is thoughtful, kind and generous.
