This week we’ve been sharing reminders on our Instagram to check in with yourself and mental wellbeing for Mental Health Awareness Week
At LivLife HQ we’re passionate about supporting individuals on their health & wellbeing journey. Not just with healthy diet choices, but with a holistic approach to general wellbeing that encourages positive physical, social and mental state.
Recent lockdown restrictions have led to many of us experiencing the Corona Coaster (emotional rollercoaster triggered by covid-19). With ups and downs becoming a weekly, even daily battle, mental wellbeing has been hard to balance.
Whilst we adjust, at LivLife HQ we’ve been taking simple measures to help aid our mental wellbeing which we wanted to share with you as well as some suggestions.
The 1- 10 Scale
Working from home has been a big adjustment for many. One way we have been checking in as a team has been to score how we feel out of 10 at the beginning of every team meeting and sharing any challenges we’ve faced or overcome. These open and honest discussions have helped our team bond and feel less alone during this time. It also prioritises our mental wellbeing before we begin discussions around work.
Connect Creatively
Although we can’t physically meet we’ve been creative in finding ways to have a laugh and connect with each other. As bread is in DNA, naturally we organised a bread baking contest to create the most unusual loaf incorporating healthy ingredients for staff, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Keep Moving
Amongst getting creative with bread we’ve also encouraged our team to maintain healthy habits – getting enough sleep, eating well and of course staying active.
But, we get it, finding the motivation to exercise when you’ve spent the day working from home, juggling childcare, or sitting staring into space trying to process the news is tough, so remember don’t be hard on yourself.
You don’t have to run a marathon (but if you do – kudos). According to the Mental Health Foundation ‘physical activity means any movement of your body that uses your muscles and expends energy’. So don’t put pressure on yourself to suddenly run 5k, find what you feel most comfortable doing.
Physical activity can be lower intensity tasks such as housework, gardening, climbing stairs, carrying bags so if you need to, start slow. It is recommended that the average adult should do between 75 and 150 minutes of exercise a week and these simple tasks add to that. So, instead of pilling on the pressure, pat yourself on the back if you’ve managed to be just that little bit more active today then you were yesterday!
Useful Resources
The NHS always has the best advice when it comes to your health. Their ‘Get Active Your Way’ has useful tips for different lifestyles including guides for different age brackets and abilities. Note: Some of the advice is pre corona.
British Heart Foundation also have a handy online quiz to find the best activity that suits you.
