So, following lockdown 2.0 in November, winter is officially upon us and unfortunately we don’t have long summer nights and nice weather to rely on to keep us motivated. Therefore, it is important to make sure you take care of yourself mentally, both physically and emotionally.
Luckily, the team at Pulseroll is on hand to share our top tips to get your through winter following lockdown 2.0.
Importance of taking care of yourself
With winter nights drawing in, it’s important that you adapt your routine to get as much natural light and nature as possible. Try sitting by a window when you work from home or perhaps whilst you work, you can have a quiet playlist in the background of natural sounds such as ocean waves or rainfalls.
You could grab a flask of hot chocolate and take yourself for a walk or invest in some flowers and plants to keep indoors. Natural light and nature can improve your mood, reduce stress & anger, and can help you to feel more relaxed.
If you find you have more time on your hands this winter, you could try to embrace a hobby. A hobby would keep you busy during winter and take your mind off any worries that you are having. And, let’s be honest, after this year, we all have a few worries and stresses!
A few hobbies we could recommend this winter would be:
- Painting
- Drawing
- Jigsaws
- Reading
- Watching a new series of films
- Cooking.
It’s important that you don’t over face yourself so try and find something that you enjoy doing.
Staying connected
Remember to stay connected in winter. We are lucky to live in a world where phones and the internet are readily accessible...so take advantage of this! Arrange a zoom call with your friends and make daily calls to check in on your family.
Always check the lockdown rules but in some areas of the UK, you are still able to go on a socially distanced walk with people. If you can, do it!
Stay active
Exercise is an important part of taking care of your body through this stressful time. Exercise is scientifically proven to boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality, and energy whilst also lowering risk of developing many long-term conditions. Exercising doesn’t always mean hour long sessions in the gym, you could simply go on a walk or dance in your kitchen.
However, if you are going to make exercise a regular occurrence, you must make sure you cool down effectively. Our vibrating foam roller can aid you in your recovery by reducing DOMS and preventing injury.
Stretch it out
If exercising sounds like the last thing you want to do, you can always try stretching.
Stretching has been proven to help reduce the symptoms of anxiety and low mood. Anxiety and low mood cases have increased through lockdown 2.0, so it’s important that you look after your mental state.
You can use our vibrating foam roller to help your stretching routine. By laying the foam roller on the floor you can lay on it or put your legs over it to help you stretch out your body. If you’re unsure on how to use a foam roller, read our how to use a foam roller blog for more information on how to do this effectively.
Not only is stretching a way of improving your mental state but it can also help improve your posture and alignment in your spine. This is particularly important if you are working from home and are unable to get a hold of an appropriate chair. If you are working at home or just stuck at home during winter, Pulseroll can help get rid of any aches and pains.
However, the biggest tip we can give you is to be kind to yourself this winter. It can be an extremely difficult time for many and we should always be patient with ourselves and others.
