Tips to Help Your Mental Health when Getting Out isn’t an Option
Sometimes, it can be hard to get out and engage in activities that boost mental health, such as walking in nature or going for a run. Whether you have a cold, have sprained your ankle, or, like myself, have a condition that limits your mobility, being stuck in your home for extended periods of time can have a negative effect on your mental health. Not to mention that winter is fast approaching, and soon it might be too cold and dark to want to do certain outdoor activities. Here are some of my top tips that I use to boost my mental health when I’m struggling to get outdoors.
- Pick up a crafting hobby. I will always emphasise the benefits of engaging in a hobby that uses your hands and has a physical result at the end. My hobby is cross-stitching; it helps ground me and keeps me in the present, as well as resulting in an item that I can appreciate and share with others. Plenty of craft stores sell small starter kits for crafts like crochet, knitting, and cross-stitching, so you have everything you need to try out the craft, and you don’t have to worry about spending loads on an activity you may decide isn’t for you. You can also support your local charity shops, as many of them sell craft supplies at very reasonable prices.
- Arrange online group calls. As much as everyone is sick of online hangouts post-lockdown, I always feel so much better when I’ve had a chance to talk to my friends, even if we haven’t been able to meet in person, and it really helps me feel less isolated. Make time to have a call where you and your friends can just talk about how your day went, play party games online together, watch a movie, or do anything that you would normally do with your friends, just online rather than in person.
- Make sure your space is comfortable. Whether it’s extra blankets, a stuffed animal, or rainbow fairy lights, make sure that wherever you spend most of your time indoors is as nice as possible. Making the space your own can make it feel less like you’re forced to be there, and more like you’ve made this space for yourself to rest and recover.
- Play word games and other activities that keep your brain active. If you’re feeling unwell, this may not be something you can engage with until you feel better, but being stuck at home can be very boring. I often feel like my brain cells are stagnating when I’m stuck at home for an extended period. I enjoy doing crossword and sudoku puzzles, as well as the daily online puzzles such as Wordle and Connections. This helps keep my brain active and engaged while not requiring me to move around at all. You can find many free crossword and other puzzle apps and websites, or you can buy physical puzzle books if you prefer working the puzzles out on paper.