Following on from World Mental Health Day yesterday (10th October 2020), it got me thinking about my own mental well being. I’m pretty sure that 2020 has many of us at the point of wanting to pull our hair out. With a lot of uncertainty in our lives, our jobs, family and just our futures in general, it seems that everything is up in the air and we’ve lost that control over our own day to day living.

Stress is bound to be a factor for us and this can manifest itself in many ways, whether it’s being quick to lash out at others, problems with our skin or just wanting to hide in the corner and cry, it’s vital that we recognise this and try our very best to, well, get our minds right.

So without further ado, here are 5 tips that I turn to time and time again, to just settle myself and bring some calm into my day, so I’m hoping that many of you will get some mental respite, even if it’s just 5 minutes.

Stay Hydrated

I know this seems so simple, but making sure that you are well hydrated keeps that feeling of lethargy at bay by boosting your energy levels, it keeps your skin in better condition and can ward off headaches that may cripple your day.

Whenever I feel stressed, it shows on my skin, flare ups of atopic dermatitis can be a norm and as many of you know, it’s just an additional stress you don’t need in your life and can create a vicious circle. The more you worry about your skin, the more it flares.

So keeping well hydrated will help ensure that you’re not adding more problems onto an already troubled time. You want to aim to be drinking around 6-8 glasses of water throughout the day, more if you are exercising or it’s a hot day.

Meditate

This means many different things to different people. It could just be 5 minutes of mindful breathing as soon as you get up, right up to a good old guided meditation during the day to calm your mind.

I’ve got five different meditations below that I love coming back to again and again on Youtube, perhaps they might benefit you today if you feel you need a pick me up. I’ve deliberately chosen shorter meditations as I know for many, time is short, especially if you’ve got kids running about or other responsibilities that take up your time.

Blissful Deep Relaxation by The Honest Guys (20 Minutes)

Earth Grounding Self Empowering by The Honest Guys (8 minutes 42 seconds)

Guided Meditation for Powerful Positivity by Boho Beautiful (11 minutes 30 seconds)

10 Minute Meditation for Anxiety by Goodful

If you are feeling completely overwhelmed and panicking, or you just want something to refocus your attention, have this loaded and ready to go: Stop a Panic Attack by Anxiety in Order (5 minutes 19 seconds)

Just taking this time to stop your mind racing and being able to focus on the present moment can really help recalibrate your head space, especially if you feel like you are spiralling with a million things on your mind. This gives you a chance to calm yourself and allows you to approach your day with a more clear intention.

Exercise

Again, this can be a quick 5 minutes, an energetic hour, or as long as you want. There are so many simple classes you can quickly bang on your phone or laptop and get those endorphins flowing. Sometimes the last thing we want to do is exercise, but it’s true, you always feel so much better afterwards.

Ideally, if you don’t fancy home workouts, a good walk, especially in nature, your local park or nearby forest if you have one would be great, it just allows you to enjoy the outdoors, stretch your legs and de-stress. Or pop on your favourite upbeat tunes and bop around your living room, I love a bit of disco, it always puts a big smile on my face. (Avoid music that brings you down or makes you feel sad and lonely, that’s not what we need right now!)

So whether you’ve got a spare room to move around in or a postage stamp size area that limits your movements (I’ve had both) you’ll find something here that will get that heart rate up and put a smile on your face.

Low Impact Full Body HIIT Workout by Heather Robertson (30 minutes long)

This work out is ideal if you are short on space and also if you live in an apartment and are worried about annoying the neighbours as there is no jumping involved. I know this now sounds quite tame, but this workout will kick your butt and get you sweating.

Full Body Workout Routine by MadFit.

For those of you who don’t think they have any time, here is a 3 minute, yes 3 minute workout, that I’m pretty sure you can fit in somewhere, maybe even a couple of times a day!!

Full Body HIIT No Jumping by MadFit (13 minutes)

For those who want something a little longer, give this a whirl. Expect to be breathing hard and sweating by the end of this!

12 Minute Low Impact Cardio Workout by Blogilates

Quick blast of energy and in 12 minutes you’ll be grinning from ear to ear having knocked out this cardio based workout.

30-Minute Power Yoga Flow For Tight Abs and a Toned Butt by POPSUGAR Fitness

This is a great 30 minute yoga flow, it’s pretty fast paced, so gets the heart rate up and is great for all levels.

35 Min Complete Vinyasa Flow Yoga Class by Five Parks Yoga

This is my go to Yoga Class. It’s easy to follow and again, it’s quite fast paced but afterwards I am buzzing!

11 Minute Yoga Shred™ by Sadie Nardini

Generate some energy and channel that inner goddess, it’s quick and it’s invigorating and pretty easy to fit into your day!

Eat Well

What we eat can play a huge part in how we feel. When we indulge in those comfort foods, they may pacify us in the moment, but we feel it later, with bloating, heartburn, lethargy and drops in energy levels. In times like these we need to fuel our body in the right way.

Make sure that you do in fact eat. I know many people who have lost their appetite during lock-down and with the ongoing uncertainty, it can become an element of your life that you feel you can control, but it is still vital that you eat regular meals.

Choose wholesome meals that enrich you with nutrients and help build your immune system, keeping you in tip top condition for whatever the future may hold.

Here are some sites that inspire me in the kitchen, helping me to create tasty and healthy meals day after day.

The Happy Pear is a great resource for delicious meals that will tickle your tastebuds.

Rachel Ama has a great range of super delicious meals to peruse.

Bo’s Kitchen is where you want to go for some delicious, heart warming dishes, it’s great if you want to expand your culinary repertoire!

Happy Skin Kitchen, as it says on the home page “Nutritious and delicious show stopping recipes”.

Talk To Someone

This can be a tough one. Perhaps you’re of the stiff upper lip school, and that being vulnerable is a sign of weakness, but if I can recommend at least one thing, it would be to talk to someone. Whether it’s your significant other, a trusted family member or calling or emailing the Samaritans. Talking about what troubles us can bring us a sense of relief.

When you have the opportunity to voice your fears and worries, just the act of acknowledging them can be a weight off your shoulders. It also gives you the chance to try and put a plan together to overcome the problems you are currently facing.

So here’s hoping you have a good day and that perhaps one of these tips has helped bring you some calmness.