As the Easter bunny has now hopped on by and the next three weeks of lockdown is upon us, we thought we'd provide some light relief from the mountain of school work.
Recently we have all been experiencing challenging and uncertain times, so it is more important than ever to look after your physical and mental wellbeing. We have been speaking to MENTalk about the importance of self-care, and how to look after your own mental health.
Whether you are starting to return to work or still at home, it is a difficult time for many tradespeople across the UK. In fact, our latest research shows 75 percent of installers feel apprehensive about returning to work, so learning how to deal with stress and anxiety is hugely important.
While the Government guidelines for returning to work may help to reassure those who are able to get back on the tools, Steve Smith at MENTalk has shared some top tips on staying motivated and keeping mental health in check:
Whether you’re back at work or remaining at home, it’s important to dedicate some of your time to doing activities that you really enjoy and find relaxing. Whether that’s binge-watching your favourite series, going for a jog, or doing a puzzle, try and make time each day to unwind with an activity or pastime that helps gets rid of the day’s stresses.
Alleviating stress can be achieved with techniques including mindfulness or other types of meditation, designed to help you reconnect with your own mind, body and surroundings. Apps such as ‘Headspace’ can guide you through mindfulness exercises. There are also plenty of online videos demonstrating meditation and breathing techniques, which can be really useful for reducing anxiety
Apart from something to do to pass the time, exercising and keeping active can help improve mental wellbeing as well as physical health. Whether it’s jogging, cycling, or having a go at ‘home gym’ exercises from videos or smartphone apps, exercising will help keep you in shape and release endorphins, making you feel happy and healthy. Try to choose something you really enjoy and it won’t feel like a chore.
In this digital era, we know that social media and smart technology play a huge role in our daily lives. However, it is also very true that this can be a key source of stress and anxiety for many. Although it is important to stay connected with friends and family, it can be helpful to take an hour or two in the day where you put away your phone or computer and spend some quality time offline.
Through this difficult time, one of the most important things to do is be kind and forgiving to yourself. Whatever challenges and goals you might have set yourself at the start of lockdown with all that new-found ‘free time’, it’s ok if you haven’t achieved any of these. Just doing whatever you can is enough.
Baxi’s partnership with MENtalk aims to encourage men to open up and support each other with mental health issues, as well as raising awareness of personal wellbeing and providing support for those working in the industry. If you find yourself struggling, MENTalk have a private safe space for you to be able to talk about how you feel on their Facebook page.
To find out more, or to join the MENTalk community, visit Instagram and Facebook @MENTalkUK, find them on Twitter @TweetMENTalk, or sign up to all of the latest information here.