#DailyWritingChallenge ~ Wellbeing

This morning, when flicking through Instagram, I came across a post from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. This post was entitled ‘Every Mind Matters’ and was about how we must ensure that we are taking care of our mind as well as our body while staying at home. So I read it through to check if I was taking care of my mental wellbeing.

Think about your daily routine & set yourself goals – even small ones can help give you structure & a sense of achievement.

I do this on most days, but on the days that I don’t I do feel lower. I find that getting up at the same time, checking into #teacher5oclockclub and sitting down with a cup of coffee makes me feel good. I think the day through and develop a structure. Recently, I have joined in with the virtual staffroom which has also been a really helpful punctuation mark in the day.

Look after your body, try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, drink enough water & exercise regularly.

I do this on most days, however at the beginning of lockdown I didn’t eat well and didn’t exercise – this really caused my mood to drop. As soon as I started to consider what I was putting in me and how I was moving, I felt a great deal better!

Do things you enjoy or try learning something new – there are lots of things you can still do from home.

I have signed up to the Open University and completed an ‘Introduction into Child Psychology’. I have also completed ‘Getting Started with Google for Education’ and am in the middle of a few other courses. I am also reading some great educational books to keep my brain ticking over.

Stay connected with friends and family via telephone and video calls, or social media

I speak to my mum every day, sometimes two or three times. I also call my mother-in-law and my friends. I have set up a family WhatsApp group so that we can all chat (there is about twenty of us). It’s a lovely way of checking in with one another.

Talk about your worries with someone you trust, or try a helpline.

I have to be honest and say that I am not great at this one. Most of my worries seem utterly silly so I don’t tend to talk about them – maybe this is something I will work on.

Acknowledge difficult feelings and try & manage unhelpful thoughts with evidence-based techniques.

I do acknowledge difficult feelings but I think that I find writing the way to mange them. I don’t know if this is an evidence-based technique though.

Try and find time to relax & try simple relaxation techniques.

Years ago, I used to meditate for half and hour every day and then it slipped to 25 minutes, 20 minutes and for the last few years nothing. I found meditation so helpful and I don’t quite know why I stopped. This is something that I will start again following this writing.

Keep your mind active. Read, write, play games, puzzles, drawing, cooking & painting.

I find that when my mind isn’t active, my mood can lower. A day spent being busy and productive with my mind focused on anything aside from a global pandemic is definitely a good thing.

I have found this so useful to just sit and evaluate and I would strongly suggest that you give it a go too!