It is pretty much impossible to avoid the topic of Coronavirus. It is online, on the TV, and it is probably part of every conversation you have with your family and colleagues.

Life has been turned upside down for many, gatherings have been cancelled or postponed, employers are having to manage staff long distance, and many businesses including us are deploying action plans to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. 

At this point, we are all aware of the key step we can take to protect our physical health by staying home and self-isolating. However, whether you miss your own work space,  social interaction, or the freedom of getting out and about. Self-isolating can be a real challenge for many as with staying home comes a confined space full of people of different ages and personalities. 

It is therefore, just as important to implement a few key steps to look after your mental wellbeing as much as it is to stay home and protect your physical wellbeing. 

Here are a few of our tips that we have implemented ourselves:

Stay connected

We don’t mean stay connected with social media and whats happening online, rather stay connected with your friends, family and colleagues. Schedule in video phone calls throughout your day. Seeing someone’s face can make a huge difference and will help you feel less isolated. 

Exercise

Whether it is an at home workout or a walk around your neighbourhood. Exercise makes a world of difference with your mood, it also helps manage stress and anxiety, and it also breaks up your day. Even walking to the end of the driveway every hour will help your productivity and boost your mood! 

Plan your days

Your normal routine is probably disrupted and you may be struggling to find the motivation to do something other than sleep in and watch netflixs. However, we are in week 2 of lockdown now, the time of mourning your old routine is gone. Take some time to write down how you want to spend your day and decide on your new routine. This will give you a sense of order and normality. If you live with other people, get them on board too and you can hold each other accountable. 

Find a hobby

There is no time like the present to either try something new or get back into your favourite thing you used to do ‘when you had the time’ and weren’t so busy with life, so read that book, get out the arts and crafts or try yoga. Whatever it is, make time in your new routine to enjoy a hobby. 

Feel productive

Make a list of all those things you said you would do but never got around to doing. Whether it’s sorting out your wardrobe, attacking the garden, or cleaning the garage. You can potter away at these tasks a little bit each day and it makes you feel productive and gives a sense of accomplishment. 

However, if you want to take the time off to rest and not be productive, that’s also fine too. We all process things differently and you may need another week to find your groove, that is okay. 

Remember, there is so much fake news around and it can get overwhelming. Stick to reliable sources, and if you need to have a break from Social Media, then do it. This is not forever, so hold your head high, make plans for when this is all over and don’t forget that the Suncourt Hotel & Conference Centre Team are still here, working from home and we encourage you to give us a call to book that weekend away in Taupō or pencil in that date for your work conference, and we can stay in touch as we all wait for this to pass.