Isolating without becoming isolated 

With more than a quarter of the world’s population now living under ‘lock down’, we are all now looking for ways we can stay connected to one another and protect our mental health. 

The good news is there are lots of ideas around to help you avoid any negative impacts of staying home. We have put together our top 10 list below: 

1. Don’t forget you are never alone 
As Christians we believe that God is always with us and always ready to listen to us. Tell Him what’s worrying you. Ask Him to give you peace. We think you’ll be surprised at what happens. If you would like us to pray for you or about your situation please email prayer-requests@brchurch.org.uk

2. Stay connected
Make sure you speak to at least one person outside your home a day. A telephone call to a friend or a facetime with family members can really lift the spirits at times like this. Just remember to talk about something other that the coronavirus. If you don’t have anyone to talk to please let us know (by emailing info@brchurch.org.uk) and we will arrange for you to be matched with someone for regular calls. 

3. Get some fresh air
If you can go out for a walk or to get some exercise. If you can’t then at least have an open window so you can feel the breeze and hear life outside your home. 

4. Keep some structure to your day
It’s easy for structure to disappear in our new, temporary reality. Before you know it, it’s 4pm and you’re still in your PJs. But keeping some structure can really help at times like this. That doesn’t have to be an hour by hour structure but just breakfast, shower and dress, chores, lunch, fresh air and exercise followed by an enjoyable activity before dinner can really help. 

5. Limit your social media and news intake
There’s a lot of doom and gloom about at the moment. Switching off from social media and live news can really help you keep things in perspective. If you feel either of these are starting to affect your mood then switch off. 

6. Volunteer
There are lots of organisations looking for volunteers to deliver vital supplies to people at the moment. Try contacting the helpforce.community for a start.

7. Learn something new
Now is a great time to take up that hobby or learn a new skill. Perhaps you want to learn a new language so that when all of this is over you can go and explore more of the world? Whatever you want to do there are millions of ways to learn online. 

8. Don’t let your imagination run away
Even the experts aren't quite sure how handle this and the future seems uncertain but it’s important to focus on what we know and not worry about the what ifs. If you find your mind wandering off to ideas that cause you to worry or feel bleak try to rein your thoughts in. Focus on positives like how many people are recovering from covid-19 or search out some positive news about how local people are helping others. 

9. Be thankful
It can be hard to think of things to be grateful for at the moment but it does help keep us resilient. Be thankful for the bird song, for the telephone call, for the food in the cupboard and we can be especially thankful for the NHS at times like this. 

10. Ask for help
Asking for help is not something that comes naturally to many people, especially in the fast paced, individualised world we used to live in. But our current reality is very different. We need to support one another, however we can. Whether it’s collecting and non-contact drop off of a prescription for someone who needs shielding, collecting and non-contact drop off for a neighbour who is self-isolating or a simple phone call, we can all help. At Bishop Ridley Church we have a team of people ready to help with all these things and more. Just email info@bishopridley.org.uk or call 020 8303 9998. 

How are you coping with the ‘lock down’? 

Further resources
Mind and Soul Foundation
Mind
Mental Health Foundation

Photo by Afif Kusuma on Unsplash