10 tips for your mental health during the lockdown

Authored by NMU

With a coronavirus ‘lockdown’ in effect across the UK and many of us working from home, it’s very easy to neglect our wellbeing.

As part of our partnership with Mind we are campaigning towards prioritising mental health and breaking the stigma around it. We believe that it is important for us to do our bit by helping and reaching out to those of you who are isolated at home, especially when it comes to managing your own mental health. With that in mind – here are our 10 top tips for wellbeing while you are in the lockdown:

1. Get plenty of sleep

Sleep is important for your mental and physical wellbeing, getting the recommended hours of sleep (7-9 hours) can ensure you start your day off energised.

2. Create a daily routine

Whether you are working from home, or adjusting to life within your 4 walls, it’s important to maintain a routine. Starting off your day just by getting up as soon as your alarm goes off and making your bed can help to set you up for a successful day. Waking up at a consistent time every morning or making your favourite breakfast encourages productivity to get started on your to-do-list for the day.

3. Create To-Do lists

Leading on from our first tip, To-Do lists are a good way to stay organised and feel productive throughout the day. Whether you write it down or use an app on your phone, working through what needs to be done for the day can help fill up chunks of time, keep you focused and seeing each task being completed will aid you in feeling accomplished – no wasted days here!

4. Exercise

It is recommend to participate in exercise once per day, from staying inside to do yoga or going for a local run – if you are leaving the house to exercise please ensure you are adhering to the social distancing guidelines.

5. Healthy distractions

During downtime, keeping yourself occupied can help to take your mind off of the crisis. Such as taking the time to listen to music, reading a book, watching a TV-Series or playing a game.

6. See your friends and loved ones

Video calling with your friends and family is a good way to maintain your relationships. Even if you can’t see them in person, connecting will them online will still enable you to interact and have some face time.

7. Hobbies & Wellbeing

Getting back into an old hobby or even starting a new one can help to improve your mental health. From walking, running or cycling to knitting or painting, there are many options available – ordering materials via online retailers to your home can help to aid in pursuing a new hobby.

8. Upskill

Taking the time to hone existing or new skills can feel rewarding. Websites such as LinkedIn Learning, Skillshare, Coursera, EDX and FutureLearn offer free courses or trials so you can learn new and helpful skills.

9. Limit your social media intake

Avoid continuous refreshing of news feeds about the current crisis we are facing, as this can be mentally taxing and anxiety inducing.

10. Take each day as it comes

Make sure to take things day by day and try not to look too far into the future. All of us are waiting to see what’s coming next and uncertainty can definitely be mentally exhausting and not to mention daunting, looking forward to tomorrow means we can manage our expectations, rather than worrying about how long it will be until the world is back in order.

We are all in this together 

Managing your mental health is so important, especially at a times like this, which is why we are proud to be partnered with Mind. With the unfortunate inevitable increase in mental health issues due to this crisis, we are committed to supporting Mind in beating the stigma attached to discussing mental health.

Follow our Instagram and LinkedIn pages dedicated to our partnership with Mind, where we’ll be uploading blogs, tips and guidance for managing your mental health regularly to help us get through this together.

Donate to Mind

Our #NMUminds have dedicated themselves to signing up to participate in many events to support Mind over the coming months. Despite the current uncertainties, we still plan to attend events that have been postponed to later on in the year. If you would like to help us fundraise and support Mind you can do so by donating to or sharing our Justgiving page or our specific events pages here:

• The 2.6 Challenge
• Three Peaks Challenge
• 100 Mile Cycling Challenges

Mind need people like you; people who give their time, money, energy and passion to make sure Mind can be there for everyone who needs them. We hope as many of you as possible will be able to support this fantastic charity and help us achieve our fundraising target.