As the COVID-19 situation is progressing and the Government guidance continues to change, individuals may be feeling anxious, facing uncertain times, or experiencing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Mental Health support during times like these are paramount, which is why Care first have worked tirelessly to ensure our services remain available 24/7 throughout the pandemic to provide emotional and practical support and ensure we have every aspect of your overall wellbeing covered.
Think back to 2019 New Year’s Eve and all those wishes, hopes, dreams and resolutions we made and had for 2020?
None of us would have ever thought about a global pandemic and yet, here we are in week 33 since lockdown began in early March. The COVID-19 pandemic has been with us since around January, but at that time it felt a long way away from us and had very little impact on our day to day lives. Coronavirus, now a “well established” disease, has left a serious situation for us to deal with, as countries the World over struggle to make sense of it.
Ways you may have found joy in 2020 already?
You may think to yourself how has there been any joy in 2020 with everything that has been going on? However, it is important to reflect on 2020 so far and to think about anything that has brought you joy and what that may have been. The things that have brought you joy in 2020 may be totally different to previous years. For example, in
previous years going abroad on holiday may have brought you lots of joy, whereas this year this may not have been possible. Perhaps you found enjoyment in a staycation or minibreak in the UK instead.
You may have already found some joy this year from all the country coming together to show support to the NHS by clapping on our doorsteps, or from supporting others who may have been isolating by taking them their shopping to their doorstep for example. It may be that you have regularly been talking to distant members of your family a lot more than you usually would, or perhaps you have taken up a new hobby that you have really enjoyed. For many of us the pandemic has given us the time to find joy in new things or connect with people we had lost touch with.
How joy in 2020 may look different than before?
Looking at some of the experiences that may give us joy in our lives that have been effected by COVID-19 restrictions include the following:
- Going out to a restaurant for a meal – For the majority of us going out for a meal at a restaurant is a treat that is likely to bring us some joy. However during lockdown this would not have been possible and even now with the restrictions in place, many of us may not enjoy this experience as we did before. You could look at replacing this experience with a home cooked meal or takeaway but making it a more enjoyable experience by really going all out and treating yourself to something that you really enjoy. You could lay the table and present the meal in a similar way to what you may have in a restaurant. It could be that you and your partner take it in turns to cook depending on your situation.
- Going to the cinema – In any other year going to the cinema would be an experience that for most of us would be joyful. The experience of watching a new movie with some popcorn and a drink is in normal times a positive experience in most cases. Now it may be a case of making this a joyful experience at home by getting some popcorn in and having a movie night in front of the television as a family.
- Going on Holiday – It may be that instead of going abroad this year you have decided to re-decorate your house or garden for example. This may have given you some joy that your house or garden is now looking really good and may feel proud of what you have achieved. Or perhaps you’ve enjoyed a staycation here in the UK and visited new places or explored a new city.
- Spending more time with your family – For those who are normally away a lot with work, or whose schedules don’t allow as much family time as you would like, the lockdown may have enabled you to have much more time at home with your family. It may be in a few years’ time you look back and reflect on how good it was to spend some extra quality time with your family at home.
How can Care first help?
If you feel you may need some emotional or practical support, you can contact Care first on the Freephone number.
Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. Whilst our BACP accredited counsellors are available 24/7 to provide support with emotional issues, our expertly trained Information Specialists are available 8am-8pm Monday-Friday to provide advice on any practical issues that may be causing you a stress or worry and help you feel more in control of a situation. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support.
All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.
If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Finding Joy in 2020’ this is being delivered live on Friday 30th October at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session –https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/398134670212532750
If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.