It’s extremely tough times for all of us at the moment!

You may have suffered from the Coronavirus, or know a family member who has?

There are also lots of other implications such as: losing your job, having no work due to being self-employed, being housebound, not having enough food, or getting the right medicine, and not being able to visit all of your friends and family members!

Whether you’ve gotten the Coronavirus directly or not, it’s still altered your life in some shape or form, and you may be struggling with your mental health?

If this is you, please do not despair, you are not alone, we are all in the same boat, and we can navigate our way through this together. 

I want to help you and will be doing my best to support you throughout this lockdown period (and beyond!).

In this article, I’m going to share with you five tips to help you boost your mental and physical wellbeing during this challenging period.

#1 Read To Boost Your Mood

The first thing I’d recommend doing is reading each day. 

I’m not talking about reading the news, be careful how much news you are reading/watching. It’s good to stay up to date with the government’s updates and guidelines, but if all you do is watch the news, you are going to create lots of unnecessary panic and live your life in fear.

Your mind could benefit from reading books that uplift you and change your focus, even if only for a brief period. 

Whether you read a fiction book or a personal development book, it doesn’t matter. Just take your mind elsewhere for 20-60 minutes each day.

Since the UK went into lockdown (7 days ago), I’ve read every single day, and it’s given me a well-needed boost and helped me to rebalance myself emotionally. 

I’m a big fan of personal development books and the two books I’d recommend reading right now are:

• A Mans Search For Meaning – Viktor Frankl 
• Mindset – Carol Dweck 

A Mans Search For Meaning is about a man who survives a nazi concentration camp. He loses everything BUT still manages to live a life of meaning and purpose. 

I know this sounds depressing, and it is, BUT there are lots of valuable lessons to be learned from the book with regards to being able to suffer and still find a purpose in daily life. 

Also, it put things in perspective that no matter how hard things are in your life right now, they could always be worse. At least you have a computer or a phone. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to read this article! 

You can still be grateful and find meaning in your life despite outer circumstances, and that’s what this book is all about. 

Mindset – is all about building a positive mindset and flipping perceived negative situations into positives. 

Carol Dweck talks about the mind in a very easy to understand way and inspires you to take action towards building a better life for yourself. It’s a perfect book for the situation we are all currently facing right now.

#2 Online Therapy 

With us all being housebound, well, I say housebound we are allowed to leave the house for exercise and food shopping… that said it’s still not much, compared to being able to roam free! 

If you live by yourself or are struggling mentally and emotionally, then why not reach out and do some online therapy. For £40-£70 per session, you can speak to an online therapist who will help you to gain some clarity amongst the chaos and listen to your problems and what you are struggling with in your life. 

We need each other more than ever right now, and we must pull together as a team. It can be difficult, especially if you are suffering in silence and don’t have anybody to talk with. Why not reach out for help because it could give you a well-needed boost and help you lift your mood? 

#3 Exercise

We need to exercise more than ever too! Not only for our physical health, but mental well being also. 

When you exercise, your body releases feel-good hormones such as endorphins and dopamine, which will make you feel better and lift your spirits. Exercise changes the chemicals in your body (in a positive way), and it’s crucial to do this right now. 

Take 30-60 minutes each day to exercise. 

My advice would be to go out for either a 30-minute walk or a 20-30 minute jog. 

When possible, get outside and see some daylight, this will give you a break from the confinements of your flat/house, and it will also allow your body to get some vitamin D (from sunlight) and give you a mental break. 

Getting outside is key, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. BUT ideally, get out as much as you can, BUT please follow the guidelines from your government and be extra safe. 

Alongside exercising outside, you could do lots of workouts in the comfort of your own home. For example, Joe Wicks is doing live PE lessons each morning for children and parents. 

You could also try out some of the home workouts I’ve just created, for example…

Try this 6-minute ab workout:

Or how about these six push up variations you can do at home, with zero equipment:

If you wanted something more personailsed then why not book in for a Zoom personal training session with me? 

I will train you live using either Zoom or Skype, and I will support you every step of the way. 

Book Your Zoom Session Here 

#4 Speak With Friends & Family Daily 

It’s so important to speak to your loved ones each day. Make sure you call your mum and dad, brother(s), and sister(s), gran, grandad, friends, work colleagues, etc. Reach out, they need you, and you need them.

Schedule in time each day to make a call to the people you love and care for. Share your struggles and listen to there’s. Be there for one another and connect as best as possible. It may not be the same as seeing somebody in the flesh, but it’s the next best thing. 

Amazingly, we have access to such technology! Back in World War 1 & 2, parents couldn’t Facetime or Zoom call their son out on the battlefield – such technology didn’t exist! Were very lucky that we have different options, so take advantage of them as best as you can.

#5 Keep A Gratitude Diary 

I would highly recommend keeping what’s called a ‘gratitude diary’ each day, whether that’s written down on paper, or typed up on your phone/computer. 

When you wake up, write down ten things, you are grateful to have in your life. For example, this morning, I wrote down the following:

I am thankful for:

• A roof over my head
• Facetime to speak to my mum and dad
• Food in the cupboard
• Water to drink
• A gym in my house to workout
• Supportive clients who train with me on Zoom & Skype
• Lots of books to read
• Comfy bed
• Beautiful wife and children 
• Lovely garden to relax in

Try it yourself and try and come up with ten new things each day! Appreciate what you’ve got, and you’ll feel so much better!

Take each day as it comes. You will have good days, bad days, and everything in between, BUT by doing the five tips suggested in this article, it will increase the likelihood of you getting through this very testing period. 

Stay strong, and please reach out for help as and when you need it!

Nick Screeton (Founder of LEP Fitness)