Are you worried about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the life changes it may bring to you and your family?
This is probably a stressful time, with lots of lifestyle changes but it is only temporary and there are things out there that you can try to help with your wellbeing.
This article will provide hints and tips for, if you are:
- Worried about not seeing an elderly family member
- Working from home
- Working from home with children
- Taking care of your health and wellbeing
Note: A good place to look for advice and guidance on being at home is Mind. Mind provides useful links and information on everything from mental health, to the checklist for saying at home, to how to work or revise at home.
1 Worried about not seeing an elderly family member – Age UK has a useful advice and guidance
- Keep in touch by phone or via video message – Age UK has a guide on how to use video calls
- You could set up a rota with other family and friends to make sure someone is regularly giving them a ring to see if they’re OK.
- Online shopping – you could arrange an online shop for your relatives, or, if they live closer, drop shopping to their door. Age UK recommends that you leave the shopping on their front doorstep, knock on their door and step back while you ensure they safely receive it. Make sure you stand 2 metres away from them at all times.
- Send a postcard, post small gifts to keep people’s spirits up or write a letter to an older friend or relative
- Know these numbers: For practical information and advice, call Age UK Advice: 0800 169 65 65; for a cheerful chat, day or night, call Silver Line: 0800 470 80 90 (as this is a very busy time, if you’ve contacted Age UK’s telephone befriending service it may take a little while to connect.
2 Working from home
- Set a routine, start work at the same time every day and make sure you keep your sleep pattern constant
- Check in with your team members regularly
- Maintain a positive work/life balance
- Use Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype or other communication/collaborative working platforms to connect with colleagues and work together.
- Use and make sure your team are using support tools available, like counselling or physical activity sessions
3 Working from home with children
- Ask their school or college if there is any digital learning available while your children are at home, and what technology they may need to complete their work. Remember to add time in for breaks and lunch. There are also apps and online content available.
- Think about being more lenient with your children’s social media and mobile phone use during their time at home. If your children would normally go to school or college, they will be used to being around other children for several hours a day. They might find it difficult to be removed from this, especially if they’re also worried about their health.
- Encourage your children to select books or podcasts they’d like to explore during their time away from school or college. You can also think about card games, board games and puzzles, and any other ways to stay active or be creative – painting, clay, online exercise classes, Duolingo, colouring, word search, quizzes on Jet Punk and Sporcle, etc.
- For older teens, there are free online courses they could try out. For example, FutureLearn and BBC Bitesize are both offering online learning
- Some libraries are offering free online activities and resources. Other free eBook sources can be found in the attached link.
4 Taking care of your health and wellbeing
- Keep taking any medication you need
- Take care of your environment, keep your home clean and tidy
- Decide how to use each space or, if you live with others, decide together how you’ll use different spaces.
- Keep active – it is important to keep up with exercise as it is good for the body and the mind
- If you need to talk to someone, call, message or text a friend and keep in touch with your relatives
- Keep clean, shower regularly and wear clean clothes
- Keep your mind active, develop a new skill or practice a hobby, keep your mind active
- Check out further information at the Mind.
Everyone Health can help you. If you are looking to drink less, smoke less and stay active, call today: 0333 005 0095.
We are providing telephone and virtual sessions to support you with your needs.
