These are some ideas to help take care of your mental wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic, including during the winter. These tips may work for different people at different times. Only try what you feel comfortable with. And try not to put too much pressure on yourself if anything doesn’t feel possible right now.
Find ways to connect with others and share experiences
If you can’t meet up with people or groups you’d like to see in person, make plans to video chat instead. You can also arrange phone calls or send instant messages or texts. If you’re worried that you might run out of things to talk about, make a plan with someone to watch a TV show, live music or theatre together. Or you could take part in a quiz, or read a book separately and then discuss it with each other when you speak.
Adapt your routine for winter
Trying out a new winter routine might help give you a sense of change if you’re struggling with how long the pandemic is continuing. For example, you could spend time cooking and trying some new winter recipes, or learning a new skill.
Get as much natural light and nature as you can
If you are able to spend time outside in winter, such as in a garden or on a walk, you could plan to do this during daylight hours. If the weather is cold, try to make your time outside as comfortable as possible by wearing warm clothes. It may also help to bring a warm drink with you in a flask, or have a hot drink after your time outdoors to warm yourself up.
Look after your physical health
Build physical activity into your daily routine, if possible. There are options for most ages and abilities. This includes things you can try indoors, if you’re spending lots of time at home. For example: cleaning your home , dancing to music, going up and down stairs, seated exercises, online exercise workouts that you can follow, sitting less – if you notice you’ve been sitting down for an hour, just getting up or changing position can help.
Take care with news and informationStay connected with current events if you find it helpful, but take care with where you find your news and health information. Try to use trusted sources to find reliable updates. Mind has a list of useful sites at https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/