As a responsible organisation Consulting IT have helped to #flattenthecurve by sending staff home to ensure the health of our staff, our clients and of course the all-important business continuity of ourselves as a business in the Managed Service Provider (MSP) field. 

There’s been plenty of chat lately about how to stay physically healthy during the coronavirus pandemic. But what about mental health? Not only is this crisis and the confusion surrounding it causing anxiety, but with more and more people enacting social distancing and self-isolation measures, keeping ourselves mentally fit while cooped up inside is certainly going to be a challenge!  

There are plenty of ways you can ensure you stay mentally healthy, whilst stuck at home staying physically healthy.  

1. Stick to a routine 

Don’t get sucked into two weeks of sleep-ins and not showering. Get up at the same time every day, get dressed, eat a healthy breakfast, make a to-do list and plan your day. If you’re working from home, try to separate your bedroom and office. Spend as much time in different parts of the house as possible, so when you go back to your bed at night, it feels like you’ve had a proper day. 

2. If you can, go outside every day 

It depends on your situation of course, where you live/ whether you’re sick or not etc but getting outside, into fresh air and sunshine at least once a day will make a huge difference to your mental state. Maybe it’s just having breakfast on the balcony of your apartment. Maybe you’re lucky enough to have a backyard to run around in. If you’re social distancing, it’s still ok for you to go out for solo hikes, runs and ocean swims too (but avoid the public pool). 

3. Stay connected with family and friends 

Everyone is in the same boat, but not the same house. Make sure you stay in contact with family and friends. They’re probably feeling just as lonely and confused as you are. As the situation is changing day-to-day, it’s worth chatting on an almost daily basis. Everyone is overstimulated with social media at the moment and lacking in actual human contact. So forget the texts – line up a time to chat on the phone or over Facetime. 

4. Don’t overdo the Netflix 

Now seems to be a great time to invest in an online streaming site. But like your parents used to tell you, too long watching TV will turn your eyes square. Some Netflix is inevitable, just don’t spend your whole day curled up in bed. Read a book instead!  

5. Don’t oversaturate yourself with news 

Everyone wants to keep up to date, and the situation is changing by the day. But it’s not changing every 17 minutes. So set scheduled times throughout the day to check the news. Read articles directly from a news site rather than a random smattering of headlines from your Facebook feed. Then go back to whatever you’ve got planned for the rest of the day. 

6. Learn a new skill and practice an old one 

Now’s the time to go gung-ho on that hobby you’ve been saying you don’t have time for. Practice setting up your tent in record time. Paint your favourite landscape. Figure out what all the do-whackys on your camera are actually for. Prime learning time! 

7. Bring the outdoors in 

We’re all going to be staring out our windows longingly for the next few weeks. So why not try to bring nature into your home as much as possible? Buy a few extra house plants (you’ll have plenty of time to figure out how to care for them), play some soothing nature sounds and daydream about your first post-Covid adventure. Hell, why not start mapping it out now? 

8. Keep on exercising 

There is a heap of exercise options you can do in your home (and it’s all free!). Check out some yoga videos on YouTube. Chuck on your favourite playlist and dance around your room. Or you could even run a marathon around your lounge room. Get creative. And get moving! Who says the adventures have to stop? 

9. Do those odd jobs you’ve been putting off 

You know those annoying little jobs that only take half an hour and constantly niggle at the back of your mind, but you still put off doing for six months anyway? Yeah, do those now. Make a big list and tick them off one day at a time. You’ll feel bloody stellar. And while you’re at it, keep your house clean. There’s nothing that’ll bring your mood down more than living in a pigsty and not being able to leave it.  

10. Help others where you can 

We’re all going through it. Some more than others, but there’s no one who’s not feeling the effects of this crisis. So, if you’re in a position to, help out others where you can, maybe that means checking in on vulnerable members of your neighbourhood. Maybe it’s buying online from small businesses that you’d usually be spending with, maybe it’s donating a few cans of food to food banks that are in short supply. 

Lending a helping hand is guaranteed to release those feel-good endorphins.  

Our experience in crisis management, disaster recovery and time critical project work has proven to be the major point of difference as has our open and transparent communication. 

To discuss successful partnerships and how engaging Consulting IT to maintain your IT infrastructure will:  

  • Reduce your Staff downtime/ Expenditure/ Stress/ Exposure and Risk 
  • Increase your Awareness/ Business Continuity Plans/ Backup and Disaster Recovery Systems/ Auditing and Compliance 

Simply contact Corey Hill ([email protected]), National Sales and Marketing Manager. 

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