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How to find inner peace during lockdown
Posted by Claire Boote, on April 21, 2020.
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s)
We’re a month into lockdown…so how are we all feeling? This strange new world really is a rollercoaster of emotions. You may be getting into your stride and finding small upsides to this new normal, or the ‘novelty’ may well have worn off leaving you climbing the walls in frustration.
Wherever you are emotionally, we are all having ‘off’ days. Whether frazzled from juggling work and kids, or lonely from lack of contact with family and friends, we all need to find some inner peace to see us through the next few weeks.
Here are some of our favourite ways to stay calm, focused and positive during those down days.
Drawing and painting
Give your eyes a rest from staring at screens and pick up a pencil or paintbrush. Making your mark on a fresh sheet of paper is a great way to exercise the creative part of your brain. If you’re feeling hemmed in by your limited daily view, you can transport yourself somewhere else by painting your favourite landscape from a photograph or from memory.
There are plenty of talented folk currently sharing their knowledge online. It may be aimed at children but Rob Biddulph’s #DrawWithRob ‘how to’ videos are proving popular with all ages. Great British Bake Off’s Noel Fielding runs #NoelsArtClub on Twitter and Instagram for young and old – tune in at midday every Saturday for the week’s theme, then share your work with everyone online. And national treasure Grayson Perry’s new TV show ‘Grayson’s Art Club’ will bring a weekly art masterclass to everyone self-isolating (starts 27 April).
Gardening
With outdoor trips severely restricted, anyone lucky enough to have a garden will be relishing their own private patch. Spending time among greenery has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and stress levels. Spring is a busy time in the garden and getting your hands dirty with the weeding, pruning and other garden chores will leave you feeling productive and focused. Planning and planting a flower bed, or even just a window box if space is limited, can give you a welcome sense of control as well as focusing your attention on a long-term project, rather than simply living in the day-to-day.
The RHS offers a wealth of gardening advice for novices to seasoned pros, whatever the size of your plot – visit www.rhs.org.uk. Or browse clips from BBC Gardeners’ World if you need Monty Don to demonstrate techniques.
Birdwatching
Our day-to-day world may have temporarily shrunk, but there’s a world of wildlife to explore on our doorstep (and unlike many events, Spring is something that coronavirus definitely hasn’t cancelled). Spend a mindful hour watching birds from your window – this is a busy time for them as they pair-up, nest and feed, and you may become familiar with regular visitors to your garden or balcony.
Jot down your viewings in a bird-spotting diary and learn about birds you don’t know via the RSPB website, their handy bird identifier guide lists 408 species!
BBC wildlife presenter Chris Packham often extolls the positive impact nature can have on mental health and personal wellbeing. When lockdown began he set-up the Self Isolation Bird Club for wildlife lovers to connect and share their sightings on Twitter and Facebook. He also presents a daily wildlife show via Twitter with his step-daughter Megan, live from his home in the leafy New Forest every weekday at 9am.
At Royce, we’ve asked some of our favourite local businesses for their own tips on finding inner peace during lockdown. We’ll be adding new expert advice covering Pilates, yoga and gong baths, on our social media channels in the coming weeks.
To begin, we have some great tips from Katie Page and Sophie Andrews…
Katie Page
Katie is a complementary therapist, specialising in Reflexology. Katie helps people, especially Ladies, achieve a calming balance and peacefulness so that they can focus on achieving what they need to achieve. Katie’s practice is called Nightingale Therapy and is based in Brackey, Northamptonshire.
Sophie Andrews
Sophie is a massage therapist, cranio sacral practitioner and sound healer. The lockdown is preventing touch therapies so she is focusing on offering online gong bathing and meditations for her clients at this time. She grew up in Oxfordshire, now lives in London and misses the green!
