Top Tips for Beating the Lockdown Blues

This week has ended up being a fantastic week so far. I started the week feeling a little wobbly for the first time in a very long time. I felt anxious and fed up with the whole situation. I’m pretty sure many of you feel the same.

Home schooling our 3 kids (none have the opportunity to go back before September) and trying to build up both mine and my husband’s small local businesses left me feeling really deflated.

Thankfully I have the ability to dig deep at times like these. I have built up the skills and knowledge over the past 8 years to turn these feelings around. For me recognising and accepting how I’m feeling is the first step. Then it’s time to take action! Here are my TOP TIPS (As my clients know I like to practice what I preach 🤗):

💗 For an over active anxious mind, meditation is key! Learning to calm and focus an active mind has been the icing on the cake for me. So much so that at the end of last year I qualified as a meditation instructor. As many of my clients know I have become such a pro at meditation that I can do it in a noisy room or car with my kids causing havoc. Take 5 minutes to breathe and focus!

💙 VitaminB12 gives me energy and clarity, it helps me sleep and wake up refreshed. Since having these shots 18 months ago the uncomfortable heart palpitations I was experiencing pretty regularly have all but disappeared.

💚 PILATES! Whenever I teach or do Pilates, I completely lose myself in the movement. Pilates is the most technical form of exercise, so there is no space in the mind to think about anything else. I use it as a form of mindfulness.

💗 Nutrition - eating a clean, healthy, balanced diet at regular intervals helps to balance blood sugar levels and prevent huge ups and down in mood and energy. Following the 21 Day Summer Reset Plan from @zarastellanutrition has reminded me of this. I follow TRE (Time-Restricted Eating) then make sure I eat every 3 hours. It also stops hunger and cravings (I’m actually rocking a bikini in this picture taken yesterday. My excess weight is coming off very nicely 😉).

💙 Alcohol, before lockdown I had pretty much given up drinking alcohol since October 2019, except for a few special occasions #blamelockdown I started drinking again at the beginning of lockdown, not much but enough to effect my mood. Alcohol has a DIRECT impact on anxiety and mood! Trust me on this I have done plenty of experiments 😬 Stop drinking or reduce consumption and watch the difference.

💚 HAVE FUN!!!! We all spend too much time worrying about the ‘what if’s’. I’m definitely guilty of that. Worrying about the future, the past, other people, other people’s views on you! I decided to dump all that unnecessary baggage on Monday, I put it all in the ‘fuck it bucket’ - and have had so much fun this week! In between minimal home schooling, minimal housework (my house is currently a mess) and teaching (which is my therapy 💗💙💚).

My advice to anyone who is suffering: it can and it will pass. You may need help getting through this and initially it does require some effort and may feel a little uncomfortable. If this is you please reach out. We run many services at Merton Health and Fitness and sometimes just being part of a wonderful, supportive community is all you need. Contact me for information on any of our services, have a great day 💗💙💚