We realise there is a lot of information online at the moment to support yourself and your family through these stressful times. Therefore, to save you some time we’ve categorised what we’ve found using the 5 Ways to Wellbeing Framework to allow you to focus on what you need to. For evidence on this framework see here.
We will keep adding to this page as we see resources being shared online that we think will be useful in this time.
- Connect with other people
- If you are fit and healthy drop a letter through the letter boxes of neighbours near you with your contact details volunteering to do a shop for them if they need to isolate.
- Adults can make an online coffee date with friends using Zoom (free platform for meetings of 40 minutes) or a if you have young people at home let them have the time to connect with their friends with a FaceTime session.
- Can you put something positive on social media that will make people smile? Use moral elevation!
- Take part in Stay In and Sing – sign up to be part of this online singing session where you can connect with many singers from around the world
- If you have local friends or neighbours by set up a treasure hunt on a route you can walk. Pick out some points of interest, create some clever clues and challenge your friends to identify each marker during their next walk. Whoever gets all the answers right first gets to plan the next hunt
- Be physically active
These are all activities you can do indoors whilst we are in the current pandemic considering some people would prefer to stay indoors if vulnerable
- Join Joe Wickes ‘PE with Joe’ daily class at 9am
- Try out Ten pilates using their home bodyweight strength session
- Watch Yoga with Adriene and pick a yoga workout that works for you (time, ability and depending on how you are feeling)
- MindBody is an app that has online classes and is free for the first week – download without having to input any card details. Please note these are live and you have to be online for the time of the class but you do feel part of a class as they use Zoom to stream!
- Own your Goals is another fitness programme that is offering a free 30 day without having to put card details in. This one has short to long workouts that you can do in your home when you choose
- Keep learning
- For students we recommend using some of the resources on this great Google doc where many have been collated
- For adults and student 16+ check out Future Learn and all the great courses they have for free (they do have paid courses too but we all love a freebie)
- Wanted to learn a new language but never had the time? Try Dulingo – totally free and you can set a daily goal of how much time you want to spend each day learning it
- Coursera is another excellent online platform that has made many courses free in this time. They have sections listed for school students, university students and for career development so there should be something for everyone.
- If you want to improve your cooking skills check out a YouTube cooking school such as this one
- Give to others
- If you are healthy and fit and not living with people who are vulnerable to the virus (or not but have some time to help with phone support) sign up to the NHS volunteer responders or use a mutual aid group – find your nearest one here.
- Can you give to the food collection as you go for your shop? Can you drop off a meal to someone nearby who might not be fit enough to cook for themselves in this time? You don’t have to go into the house, you can just leave it outside the door.
- Can you write a letter, story or even get your child to draw a picture to send to a care home? We know Bridge House Care Home would appreciate something addressed to ‘Dear Friend’ (95 Bracken Rd, Brighouse, HD6 4BQ)
- If you are healthy – can you give blood?
- Support your local food bank (UK based)
- Take notice / Pay attention to the present moment
- Note down the 3 things you are grateful for or put them on twitter with the #3goodthings
- People find mindfulness a good term to explain the idea of being present – try out the Headspace or Calm app to help with this
- Get creative and take pictures with a camera! Focus on capturing what’s before you. This can be with done by yourself or with your family with a competition to ‘Guess what this image is?’ or the most creative photo!
- Play ‘I Spy’ with family or friends – this is an ideal way to focus on what’s around you that someone or you might not always notice.
- Bring awareness to sensations of what you can feel in the present moment. Consciously feeling your feet on the floor and the feeling as you scrunch your toes, your bottom on a chair, or your clothes against your skin can bring your mind back to present.
