In such uncertain times, it is normal for you and your family to be feeling a little worried in relation to coronavirus and how it could affect your lives. Social distancing and self-isolation can be very difficult to deal with and can  cause feelings of anxiety, frustration, anger and boredom. With this in mind, we have formulated some top-tips  on how to look after your mental health for the foreseeable future:

Stay Connected

In modern times, we have developed a way of life where we can contact anyone within seconds from the comfort of your own couch. Video calls are an amazing way to keep in touch with friends and seeing a loved one’s face can help life your mood instantly. There are so many different video calling apps such as Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, Whatsapp and WebEx where you can talk chat free of charge, and even play games to keep yourselves entertained for hours.

Exercise

One of the most important pieces of advice that we can give you is to keep moving! A healthy body equates to a healthy mind and can play a huge part in improving your mental health during self-isolation. There are a number of different free online work out websites and apps to choose from, ranging from beginner to expert. One particular online work out that is taking the world by storm is Joe Wicks’ Daily PE sessions. Great for both kids and adults, these workouts are available free every day live at 9am, with them also being uploaded on YouTube so you can do them whenever you like. Take a look at them here –   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ

Take a break from the news

You will probably be spending more time than usual watching the news or scrolling endlessly through social media – but I bet you have never sat and thought about how this is affecting your mental health? This is the perfect time to start unfollowing accounts that make you feel negative or anxious and start following accounts that can help boost your mood or share your interests. We also recommend limiting the amount that you watch the news on the TV – as overindulging in this can result the circumstances playing on your mind more.

Don’t keep it in – talk!

It’s very easy to let your anxious and sad thoughts build up in your brain, so it is very important to discuss how you are feeling with loved ones. Making sure that your family feels comfortable to talk about such things will play a huge part in everyone’s mental health.

At Gateways we have also just launched a Confidential Listening Service for our parents.  This service has previously operated face-to-face within school for the benefit of our pupils, but we have now extended a phone line to our parents as well as our pupils. 

The second service is one which we are calling Gateways 111. Starting on Monday 30^th March, between 8.30am and 5pm, Nurse Diane is available on the phone for frontline medical advice.  We hope, by offering this service to our parents, we will save everyone waiting for hours in a “queue” to speak to NHS 111 or their own GP’s surgery at a time when the NHS is doing such a brilliant job but is unbelievably stretched.   Gateways parents have been sent details of how to access both these services.

For more information on how you and your family can look after your mental health during self-isolation, take a look at the following links:

Young Minds – https://youngminds.org.uk/

Mind – https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/

Action for Children – http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/support-for-parents/children-s-mental-health/

The Children’s Society – https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/young-peoples-mental-health