Top Tips To Stay Healthy & Happy in Lockdown

1. Start the morning right - making sure you have a solid morning regime is a great way to get you out of bed and start the day right, especially if you don’t have anything to get up for right now! I personally start every morning making myself a hot water and lemon followed by taking my dog for a walk. Those first couple of hours to myself keep me calm and relaxed throughout the day.

2. Keep moving - now that the gym is off-limits it’s incredibly easy to forget about exercise altogether! Wrong! A huge number of exercise classes have moved online and are cheaper to join than going to the gym ever was. I have been alternating between Heartcore’s dynamic mat pilates class (£5 per class) and HIIT apps ‘30 day fitness’ and ‘HIIT WORKOUTS’. Incorporating exercise into your routine is imperative as it helps you sleep better at night and releases those lovely endorphins to keep you sane and happy.

3. Get cooking good looking - no better time like the present to learn how to cook. And if you already know what you are doing push yourself to learn new recipes, challenge yourself, pick up that Ottolenghi simple cook book that’s been on your shelf since Christmas and work your way through the entire thing! Cooking has been proven as a therapeutic tool by psychologists that can help alleviate depression so pick up that frying pan and get going.

4. Down time - now down time can be a handled a number of ways. But one thing is for sure you need to allocate some time out of your day for yourself. Whether it be by setting yourself a number of pages to get through in your current book (midnight chicken by Ella Risbridger is mine right now and loving it), listening to your favourite podcast (The High Low with Dolly Alderton & Pandora Sykes), giving yourself that much needed home facial (Sarah Chapman is my new favourite) or giving meditation a go (I use Headspace, which is a great guided meditation app but there are plenty of options out there). These are my down-time favourites -  give them a go or ignore them but do make sure you find your own ways to keep youself distracted from thinking about that cancelled summer wedding! Trust me, down time is crucial in staying calm and stress free.

5. Stay connected - whether you are isolating with a partner, a friend, family or like so many are isolating alone, get yourself online! Download zoom, Skype, or the newest addition House Party. Speaking to people outside of the home is important if not just for yourself but for others who are in need. We are all modern primates who need connection. Going back to caveman times if you were outside of the pack you wouldn’t survive and in some ways we all still possess that fear of being disconnected. So stay connected with friends and family, remembering all along that laughter is the greatest cure. Keep smiling!

Xantha is a certified hypnotherapist. With recognition from the GHR – General Hypnotherapist Register, International Board of Hypnotherapy and the National Council of Psychotherapists. Since becoming certified she has helped a wide variety of clients with all different issues. There is always room for improvement in our lives and now more than ever we need to take care of ourselves!

Read her story HERE