New Year, Same Pandemic - now what?

As we enter 2021 and we try and find our ‘new normal’ (again), it is vitally important to remember to check on our own wellbeing. Our moods have been understandably lowered by this whole experience, so it’s important to stake stock and remember some positives.

We’ve sung happy birthday while we washed our hands, we’ve baked banana bread (or considered it, and perhaps thought better of our culinary skills), shared millions of relatable memes, and the end is in sight. But there appears to be a bit more to navigate before we get there. We’ve gathered tips from across our own workforce, based on things that have worked for us.

We encourage you to sample as many as you feel comfortable trying.

Keep a routine.

Practical, sensible advice - we have staff members who dress each day as if they’re going into work, and they’ve reported that it gives them a slight confidence boost. They get up at the same time each day, and some even have a safe, masked and distanced walk in the morning to simulate the morning commute. Your routine may differ, but keeping to it can prove fruitful - you’ll feel more structure, and you’ll have more control over your day and what you do with it.

Move around.

Exercise is known to release endorphins, which is the brain chemical science way of saying that a walk outside can make you happy - or lunchtime yoga in the living room can make you feel better, just like it’s made some of our workforce feel. Stretching your body a little and getting up off your seat can make a real improvement - there’s no pressure to give yourself a gruelling workout for the fabulous beach body no-one will see, just go at your own pace, and have fun learning what kind of exercise you like to do. There’s no hard and fast rule saying what kind of physical activity you have to do, and the internet is awash in multitudes of different tutorials for all skill levels.

The important thing is that you do it for you.

Maintain social interaction.

Maybe Zoom quizzes are “so last year”- but that doesn’t mean you should isolate yourself completely- this can be an opportunity for a creative solution. Strangely enough, giving informal presentations for fun started trending not long ago across several video streaming apps. While this may sound like work, others find it fun as they get to choose the subject heading- who doesn’t want to regale their friends with their top 10 favourite outfits from Bridgerton or rating different cheeses on a scale of 1-5.  If that’s not your thing, many streaming services are including ways that you can watch the program with other people remotely, or you can organise a murder mystery party, play Dungeons and Dragons, play many online games- the list goes on and on, and is only limited by your creativity.

Also, we recommend that you check in on each other more frequently. The situation affects many people differently, and some hide it far better than others. Start the cycle of checking in on other people today.

Learn something new.

Stimulating the mind and learning something new through upskilling can be a great confidence booster- it keeps your day more interesting, and will give you a real sense of accomplishment. What you learn is completely up to you- a new language, an online course, a musical instrument, or maybe a short form documentary or podcast- make sure to do it at your own pace, so you don’t experience any burnout.

We hope these tips, simple as they are, have given you some food for thought. Remember to value to prioritise your mental health and wellbeing- they are incredibly important now, more than ever.

To support both individuals and businesses during the coronavirus outbreak, The Growth Company has developed a Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources Pack providing information on how the pandemic may affect mental health along with advice and guidance on how to best manage this during these challenging times. A library of resources and local, national and international support services is also included in the pack, which is available here.