Dealing with Loneliness in lockdown

You are not alone in isolation, I have been able to talk a lot about spending time with the people you love and live with. however what about the people who are doing this alone?

Please check in with your neighbours, put a sanitised note through the door or send them a message to check in. We are in this together and although we are an island, no one man is an island. We are a community.

For those people living alone it is important to maintain your routine, with no one else holding you accountable it might be easy to stay in your pj's all day or test how long your hair can go without washing it. but take time to make yourself feel better.

Tips to combat loneliness

Connect to people on social media

Keep in contact with your friends online. Lucky for us we have all sorts of ways to stay in contact with people on Facebook, Instagram, and Snap-chat so make the most of chatting to people you haven't spoken to in a while.

Send an email or letter to someone you love

Sending a long email or letter to someone you love is a sure fire way of making their day. Its always lovely getting a letter from a friend or a pen-pal. Take time, think about your words and send those words to someone you love and don't speak to often.

Phone a friend

In this time, we are all at home missing human contact- why not give a friend a call, have a natter over a cup of tea.

Set up a virtual movie or book club

Did you know that you can now watch movies with your friends and you can watch each other watching too on Netflix party. What a world we live in. I have tried this with my friends and although not quite the same as having a movie night with them (some one else to fill up your drink or the popcorn) it was still great fun.

Or how about setting up a book club- choose a book with your friends and read together and discuss each week.

Watch a live video

We can watch all the videos we want online. All the movies and all the TV series. But its not quite the same as interacting with someone in real time. One of the great things now is the live videos and classes there are available, having human contact, you can interact or comment and get replies from other people doing the same thing. I have thoroughly enjoyed dropping into some of the live classes on Instagram myself.

I personally like zoom because I can see you guys too and that makes it feel more special than just speaking to a camera.

Wave across at your neighbours

Luckily you are on an island with lots of neighbours around you. Take time on your balcony, look around and wave at your neighbours, you are all in the same boat and its lovely even to have small interactions with others through the day. Start a Mexican wave, a song, a dance- get creative, get silly, now's the time.

6 Tips to raise your mood

1)Let the light in

It is such a small thing, but a massive mood changer- open your curtains and blinds and look up at that big beautiful clear blue sky. Breathe it in.

2)Get fresh air

Open the windows and doors, you may not be able to go out into the world but you can let the world in to see you.

3)Exercise

Get your blood pumping and get a sweat on,. This will improve your mood and you wont be able to help but feel better. As Elle Woods says 'exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins makes you happy, happy people don't kill their husbands'.

4)Meditate

Take time for your mental health and take time to breath. To clear your mind and take time to let everything else fade into the background. There are so many ways to meditate so find a way that works for you.

5)My Favourite: have a cup of tea

A great way to always lift my mood personally is to put the kettle on, to hear that kettle boil, take out my favourite cup, choose a bag from the many different teas in the cupboard (or if i'm feeling fancy to pop some loose tea into a sieve). to watch the waters colour change, add the milk and sit by the window looking out onto the world, watching the birds fly on by. Heaven.

6)Curl up with a good book

Find the most comfy beautiful space in your apartment, make a cuppa and curl up with a book. So dust off your favourite or the one you have been meaning to get around to and dive in to a new adventure.