New Habits To Adopt In Lockdown
A second lockdown hasn’t come as a huge surprise to the UK, as we try to lower the rate of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after the first lockdown, these next few weeks can seem a bit daunting and worrying about lots of people. Not only will it impact businesses, affecting owners and employees, but also the mental health of many of the population. It’s important that we all stay focused on getting through this and aware that this is likely to have an impact on our mental health, so we can put measures in place to help:
Get Fit
Lockdown is ideal for taking time to get fit. It’s one of those things that we tend to put off, especially during these colder months when we just want to comfort eat. However, you could set yourself targets for these four weeks that you want to achieve, helping your mindset through lockdown too.
Starting something new at this time might be daunting but it can also be healthy and distracting. It doesn’t have to cost money on workout gear with websites such as Nike discount codes or second-hand sites, either! The important thing is that you just get out there!
Getting physically fit will also help with overall health, including respiratory and cardiovascular health. By getting fit, you can maintain a healthy weight, which helps to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, reduce the risk of some cancers and reduce your risk of heart disease. Initial research indicates that this will also help protect you against the virus, too!
Getting fit and implementing exercise into your lockdown routine will also help to stimulate your brain and improve your mindset. Exercise gives you the opportunity to go outside, enjoy your surroundings and take in your beautiful views too. Exercise can also help you to unwind and destress, which is particularly important if you feel anxious during lockdown.
Eat Healthy Food
During the last lockdown, baking cakes, brownies and cookies all became a popular trend. However, for this second lockdown, take the time to try and eat better foods. If you are not exercising or going out as much, then you should eat healthy food to avoid gaining any additional weight during lockdown. Plus, you can treat yourself after lockdown, after all it will be Christmas!
Healthy food doesn’t necessarily mean eating lots of fruit every day, it simply means that you should eat a balanced diet and try to cut out any unhealthy foods. For example, the additional biscuits, butter, salt or fat, can all be reduced or avoided.
Create A Gratitude List
Lockdown is a brilliant opportunity for having time to yourself. Everyday life is so hectic and busy, so why not create a gratitude list of all the things you are grateful for. This helps you to focus on the positives in your life, instead of thinking about negative thoughts that may have been triggered during lockdown and the pandemic. The list doesn’t have to be long or wordy, and can simply be keywords that mean something to you. Not only does this list make you feel better when you’re writing it, but if you are having a difficult day, then you can look back at it to help you remember all the positive things you have in your life that make you happy.
By adopting these new habits in lockdown, you should find that you feel better, fresher and more positive than you may have felt in the first lockdown. It’s important that you have regular contact and communication with your loved ones and try to keep your mind busy and occupied. If you don’t feel happy, be sure to speak to someone, whether it’s a family member, friend or a mental health professional.
Here are 8 keys to making new propensities:
Become mindful. Notice or be made mindful of the insufficient conduct and how it is influencing us.. That may happen when we jump on the scale, have a fender bender, get input from our chief or go to see a specialist.
Portray the particular new conduct you need to embrace. Unmistakably portray the particular conduct you need to begin doing and make your new propensity. You’ll be undeniably more effective advancing toward something than moving endlessly from something. In the event that you need to quit smoking, you need to discover something that is pleasurable and sound that you need to begin to do all things being equal. Furthermore, the more explicit you can be in portraying that new conduct, the better. Zero in on conduct versus results: Eat more advantageous food versus get thinner or be completely present and tune in to my youngsters versus have a superior relationship with my children.
Picture yourself utilizing the new conduct. Sit discreetly and do a perception so you can get an unmistakable picture. Notice what you are doing, who you are with and how you are feeling. Grasp that vision with the entirety of your faculties. Truly experience it.
Distinguish the worth/advantage/result of utilizing the new conduct. The change won’t be simple so there should be a result. How might this benefit you? Be certain that the advantage is of an incentive to you and not another person’s ‘should’.
Recognize your initial admonition signals/triggers. Typically, an unfortunate propensity is set off by some function, feeling or other outside sign. For instance, numerous individuals eat when they feel pushed, become guarded when somebody can’t help contradicting them. Figure out what occurs in your life that makes you utilize the current conduct. What sensations do you get in your body that may be pieces of information that you are going to carry on in your ongoing manner? Who triggers you? What circumstances make you defenseless? These functions and sentiments, similar to the lights in your vehicle’s dashboard, are your initial admonition flags that your old, incapable practices are going to reappear.
Create actual signs to remind you to supplant the old conduct with the new. Without giving it much thought, when you start to see the triggers, what would you be able to do to settle on a cognizant decision to act diversely or you can enroll an amigo to get you out by bringing up your old conduct and reminding you to utilize the new reaction.
Commend every achievement. Notice and record the result of utilizing the favored conduct. Strengthen your endeavors by recognizing your advancement and understanding the advantages.
Practice, practice, practice. Over the long run, the new conduct will have made another groove in your hippocampus and the bygone one will be overdeveloped with weeds and impassible Then, as your new propensity turns into an old propensity, check-in with yourself and be certain it doesn’t outlast its convenience.
