Health and wellbeing
With working from home suddenly the new norm, it may not be immediately obvious how much this will impact your usual activity levels.
You may sit down for most of the day in an office, but you are still moving around and being active even if it’s in a more minor way than an avid gym goer.
Walking over to talk to a colleague, to go and pick up lunch, active parts of your commute, all of this unintentional exercise could suddenly be reduced to walking from your sofa to the fridge and back again.
There are plenty of opportunities to stay active during isolation – it’s a great time to find creative ways to keep your fitness up. And not only your physical fitness but your mind matter too.
Here are some hints tips to keep your mind and body active along with some useful help and support contact information and helplines.
- Got to keep moving
Yoga – good for the mind body and soul. Here is Hebe who is creating short videos to replace the usual Yoga class at Brunswick Church. Hebe plans to release one video each Tuesday at 10:00am via You Tube so why not take a look and give it try.
The aim of these ‘Chair Yoga Routines’ is to offer some time to move your body, introduce some relaxation techniques and keep a sense of routine, normality and a space to stretch the body and calm the mind in this uncertain time.
MCR Active – read their newsletter here for more exercise tips and how to stay healthy at home.
Sport England also have some great ideas for keeping fit during the pandemic.
2. Food and nutrition
Food is vitally important and food poverty was already a serious issue before the current crisis.
If you are finding it hard to feed yourself and your family, please
call us for support – we can offer help. T: 0300 555 0128.
Here are some easy affordable and healthy eating ideas
Stay hydrated – don’t forget to drink plenty of fluids especially after exercise – here’s some information to help you.
Beestro are now offering a free hot take-away meal every day (Monday to Friday ) via the Brunswick Church car park door entrance from 1:00pm. It will be one person in at a time and keeping within the social distancing rules.
The Ardwick and Longsight Mutual Aid group is a local community emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic offering food support.
Read a copy of the Ardwick and Longsight neighbourhood update here with lots of useful advice and contact information.
There are also local food banks here to help you:
Central Manchester Food Bank
Ardwick and Longsight Food bank
Love food hate waste -Here’s what to do
Food and medical supplies, help and support in Greater Manchester https://t.co/NV2yTY86U4
3. Mental well-being while staying at home
Taking care of your mind as well as your body is really important while staying at home because of coronavirus (COVID-19).
You may feel bored, frustrated or lonely. You may also be low, worried or anxious, or concerned about your finances, your health or those close to you.
It’s important to remember that it is OK to feel this way and that everyone reacts differently. Remember, this situation is temporary and, for most of us, these feelings will pass. Staying at home may be difficult, but you are helping to protect yourself and others by doing it.
The tips and advice here are things you can do now to help you keep on top of your mental wellbeing and cope with how you may feel while staying at home. Make sure you get further support if you feel you need it.
Here are ten tips from the NHS to help you cope staying at this difficult time.
The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service, delivered by Remploy, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, provides confidential one-to-one workplace mental health support for employees or apprentices. Visit their website to find out more.
BAME – Support, information, and advice and support for our Black and Asian Minority Ethnic population during COVID-19
4. Communicating
Need help translating this information or communicating with us – here are some useful links
5. Support for older people
Virtual Village Hall www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/vvh is a new programme of online activities designed for older people at home in lockdown, to combat feelings of isolation and boredom. Activities will be led by expert tutors and some well-known faces, Royal Voluntary Service activity co-ordinators and volunteers, and the initiative is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Activities include gentle exercise, arts and crafts, cooking and baking, technology skills and quizzes with beatboxing, laughter yoga and Zumba Gold planned too. Sessions will be available seven days a week with both live and pre-recorded activities to join in with. The programme will run as long as people are in lockdown in their homes.
More details to follow, so watch this space! :)
Here’s information and support from the Age Friendly network
6. Domestic Violence – help and support
In these difficult times domestic violence is on the increase. Don’t suffer in silence – Report it and get help here
7. Bereavement
Should you find yourself in this very difficult position at this extremely challenging time, there is support and advice available here.
S4B are still here to help. If need help, advice, support or just someone to talk to, please get in touch – don’t suffer in silence. We are here to help. T 0300 555 0128 or E: [email protected]