Lockdown Homeostasis.

Lockdown Homeostasis Ideas:

‘The definition of homeostasis is the ability or tendency to maintain internal stability in an organism to compensate for environmental changes.’

Here are a few ideas that will hopefully help you keep your physiological and psychological health as strong as possible during these testing times that lay ahead. This isn’t advice or definitive, but just some ideas and suggestions. I hope there’s something in here of use.

• Routine: We feel more settled and at ease if there is structure and routine to our lives. Use a diary to plan your time throughout the day. Continue to wake up to an alarm, if that is what you normally do. Plan for meal times and eat together where possible. Plan phone calls and meetings if working from home. Schedule some time to be outdoors if possible, Including…

• Exercise: Get outside and exercise if you can. If going for a walk or jog plan a route that minimises social contact as much as possible (Keeping 2m plus distance apart etc.) Use any available exercise equipment that you have at home – Take the clothes off of the exercise bike, dig out those hand weights, get the exercise mat out from behind the sofa.. Set mini-goals and structure exercise into every day. Check out the numerous online exercise advice and routines available. There’s lots of stuff out there. The NHS website is brilliant and has a whole host of health and fitness advice Inc workouts and videos for every level, ranging from aerobic exercise, to strength and resistance, Pilates and yoga and even belly dancing! https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-fitness-studio/

• Study/Learning: Exercise and feed the brain! Study a new subject or a Qualification and/or learn a new skill. Pick up that dusty guitar and get back to learning those chords. Learn to read music. Get back to that language lesson book. Finish those case studies that you never got round to…

• Mindfulness/Meditation: These difficult times ahead are likely to become stressful and taxing… Allow yourself some time to be calm and quiet. Use this time to destress/decompress. Steady your breathing, relax your mind and try to slow everything down for a little while. Try www.headspace.com or www.mindful.org

• Limit Exposure to the TV/Media: Switch off the news channel for a while and listen to some music. Try a different radio station, create a new playlist and try audio books: www.audible.co.uk Reacquaint yourself with your bookshelf and get stuck into a good read…

• Plant/Grow/Garden: Look after that garden and maybe try growing some new life… Get a vegetable patch on the go and plant those seeds and bulbs. Look after that lawn and tend those flowers… Summer is coming…

• Acknowledge that you could be feeling different emotions and that’s okay: You could be feeling uncertainty, sadness, fear, confusion, anger etc. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be feeling a certain way all of the time. Emotions are human and very natural… Try writing down how you feel in a journal… It might help you acknowledge and understand it. Most of all don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Take care of yourself troops. F.x