With times like this during this Coronavirus outbreak and a little quieter than usual in the studio, I wanted to reach out and offer some ways of coping during these unimaginable times.
I also wanted to take this opportunity to say ‘staying calm’ is the best advice and being logical. As a voiceover artist, being one of the voices for the NHS 111 lines along with other insurance companies, supermarkets, businesses etc I have to make sure I am calm and confident in telling the nation that it will be okay. You certainly want reassurance at this time. Hopefully, my voice does that for many.
It has been reassuring that they are all trying to do the best they can and also look after their staff during this period. I don’t think I have said any other word more than ‘Coronavirus’ or ‘Covid-19’. (Actually maybe “No” or “get your shoes on to my kids!” is a close second). For the most up to date information and to help you keep up with the right information please visit:
NHS 111 Public Health England website Public Health England Facebook page
As somebody who spends a lot of time in isolation, you would think this would be easy for me, but with the added fact that I am in the high-risk category (Type 1 Diabetes), I have to essentially avoid any contact with anyone outside my house. I certainly don’t like to be told what to do and always aim to be free as a butterfly most of the time, but, here my wings have been truly clipped.
Anyway turning it into a positive I wanted to offer my advice and tips on how to stay sane if you are working from home and in isolation. Trust me I’ve had many years of practice with this sort of thing. I will be adding links to this too for anything I have come across for those parents of small kids and to help during this time. I always thought I would be a good teacher, so let’s see how I get on with my own kids and keeping calm! 😊
Something that is the primary focus here is to deal with your mental stability first.
Having a plan of action or even a goal list can help put things in place and make you have a routine. This keeps you focused and levels of anxiety down.
It can be really hard when you are in a place, not socialising with anyone work-wise and not having that interaction. So what can you do to help yourself in times like this?
Everyone is trying to do their part. How much humility, kindness and offers of help there has and continues to be, is truly an amazing thing to see and here. We need to all work together to get through this. Don’t isolate yourself in that way, but become involved in the community spirit wherever you are. Just watching the videos on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc of people in Italy and other parts of the world coming together singing together brings a big smile to our faces and brings about a sense of solidarity.
Which brings me to my first tip. Music. We all have our favourite types of music and songs to get us in the party mood, to concentrate, to feel we aren’t alone. Use this time to create playlists or just pick and choose to get you in a certain mood or get you out of a certain mood! Bad moods or spiralling down that depressive whirlwind need to be stopped in their tracks in the first instance. A bit like any virus. Clean that mind and replace it with a good old soap and wash of music.
Pick a song that is going to make you release and be silly and just move. One from me is this track – Pick up your guitar, kitchen spoon or duster and just let go. It certainly will put a smile on your face and hopefully make you laugh. If you have people in the house, make it a game and give everyone 10 seconds to find an instrument and then play and sing together. Just do it, even if you think you are being silly – who cares – you are behind a locked door.
Get out running if you can or just a stroll and listen to your favourite beats or just nature.
Nature at this time can really help the mindset. Simple pleasures in nature like gardening, going for a walk, building a vegetable patch (can you tell what I’m doing with the kids this weekend ;-)), watching the birds and looking out for wildlife will boost that mind, body and spirit. Tip don’t eat the wildlife, you might catch something. – sorry, couldn’t resist that one 😉!
Get some exercise – with the wonderful internet we can use it to stream online classes for yoga, pilates, HIT sessions, spinning – you name it.
Fiit has recently launched and is a website and app both on google and apple store. Free to trial too, so worth a go at least.
Research your local community pages on Facebook and do a search as so many people are offering help and tips and you might find lots of things that work for you and enjoy doing.
Mediation and giving yourself YOU time
There are so many tools out there now to help you give space in your mind and body.
Also, I have been recently upset that I couldn’t go to my yoga and pilates classes at the gym because of my situation, but then this (Ebb&Flow) popped up and means I can do it in the comfort of my own home doing live streaming of a class along with many others, and at a great price. It has one of my teachers from the gym, so I was a happy bunny.
Create a new hobby or activity. Something you’ve always wanted to do or been on your list for months. Write a list and see where it takes you.
Baking with kids or on your own or any type of cooking is good for the soul and then it also feeds that tummy! There are so many recipes online and in books. Go on!
A few great websites, links and tools for that mental and emotional health can be found here:
Mental Health Foundation – Looking after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak
Mind – Coronavirus and your wellbeing
FSB – Setting up your office help and if you have a small business
Beyond Blue – Looking after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak
CDC – Manage Anxiety & Stress
Hoffman Process – The Hoffman Process teaches us how to release and resolve persistent negative behavioural patterns of …
BBC – Coronavirus: How to protect your mental health
The Wishing Well – Things to take to help your immune system and lung capacity
Chatterpack (list-of-online-resources-for-anyone-who-is-isolated-at-home, includes every subject and virtual tours of places to visit etc. For adults and kids)
Here’s a selection of useful places to go online, tips, links and ideas that can help when you have the kids at home and need to be kept stimulated, learning and having fun and feeling secure too. Make sure you take time out of your day to give them the support and help they need to understand what is going on. They too will need help with their mental health. (I have created a list of websites and tips here too for this). Kids will be getting emotional and need help dealing with this.
I will keep trying to update this as and when I can with things that I stumble across, but for now I will end with this:
Stay safe. Think of others. Stay home. Help those in need. Don’t be greedy.
Please feel to share this with friends, family and work colleagues