Staying healthy means more than just avoiding the Corona virus. Top 3 Positive Psychology tips to stay healthy when your area is in lockdown.

China and Italy are seeing a rising number of anxiety cases among populations that have been in lockdown mode in order to slow down the spread of the Corona virus pandemic and help avoid pass on the infection to others that are more vulnerable. But what about the need to keep people healthy? Isolation has been linked to depression and a list of mental health issues. But little or no advice on how to stay healthy is being given to those people who are told to go home and avoid social contact.

Here are some tips for you to consider if you have been told to work from home.

  1. Connect

Why? We are social creatures and have a need to connect for our emotional wellbeing. We each have a minimum amount that we need to connect before we start cracking up. The only way for recent regulations to be sustainable for the coming weeks is to offer people safe ways to connect.

How? Consider first the quality of those connections that you will continue to make on a daily basis. Some of these may be negative and difficult to navigate. We can’t change the behaviour of others, but luckily when we change what we are doing, the relationship changes. Talk through with someone you trust, a way to better navigate conflict.

Following recommendations for a metre distance with others and regularly washing hands, having coffee with a friend, going for a walk or doing an activity together may actually keep your vagus nerve healthy and your overall immunity strong.

Safer still but with reduced need satisfaction- Skyping, FaceTiming a friend, family member or calling on the phone allows you to sustain a level of contact that will help you to meet this basic need.

2. Exercise

Exercise produces endorphins that boost your mood as well as improving your physical health (6).  Walking, running or cycling are among the many activities that help to get your heart going and help your immunity . Or maybe now is the time to check out some yoga online videos, dance around your house, or seek out that Just Dance game.

3. Flow

Flow is a state of wellbeing where you are deeply engaged in an activity, to the degree that you are not thinking about anything else. It is a state that creates optimal performance, in which the mind and body are engaged at a level that challenges, but comfortably develops the skills of the individual. Think about a moment where you were playing an instrument, drawing, reading, playing soccer, delivering a speech and for a moment, you lost a sense of time and the world outside of what you were doing. This state boosts your health and can be achieved in a safe way, with your choosing. Half an hour of flow activity per day will help boost your happiness and keep you sane during this exceptional time. 

Please note: If you are immune deficient, have an autoimmune disease, or are at a vulnerable age, please pay careful attention to the advice of your doctor.

If you want to talk about any of these suggestions, or wish to add to this brief list, please contact me. 

Gráinne Dunleavy MSc Positive Psychology 

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