5 Tips to Keep your Loneliness at Bay During Lockdown

This entry was posted in General January 27, 2021

With the current lockdown restrictions, social distancing measures can leave people feeling lonely within their home. 

Charity Age UK estimates that “two million people in England over the age of 75 live alone. While more than one million say they can go for more than a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member. Research suggests the effects of loneliness and isolation can be as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.” – mentioned in a recent Which? article.

Here at Ableworld, we have therefore researched 5 ways to keep your loneliness and negative feelings at bay during these difficult times for us all.

1. Stick to a routine

Most importantly you should stick to a daily routine. If you can try and get up at a reasonable same time every day and tackle some chores then it will keep your mind active and busy. Make time to relax and enjoy your hobbies too - this is great for mental health.

2. Get active indoors

It is proven that exercise can lift your mood, it can encourage the release of your body’s ‘Feel-good chemicals’ called endorphins. There are plenty of exercises you can do from a seated position if you are unable to stand. Take a look at the NHS Sitting Exercises article.

3. Reach out to your Family, Friends and Neighbours

As many of us are unfortunately unable to see our loved ones at the moment, it doesn’t mean you can’t keep in touch with them and continue with that interaction. There are plenty of ways of keeping in touch, even a simple email or text can make a big difference. You could even write a letter to somebody. There are also many Video calling platforms you can try, such as Facetime for apple users, WhatsApp Video, Zoom, Skype and many more.

4. Make new connections.

You could turn lockdown into a great opportunity to make new friends. There are plenty of groups you can join on Social Media to help you gain new friends with similar interests. For example, if you enjoy gardening, there is a Which? Gardening Facebook group where you can chat online with other people with gardening interests.

5. Ask for help

If you are experiencing loneliness, please don’t suffer in silence. There are a lot of friendly volunteers out there that you can chat to if you’re feeling isolated.

Try Silver Line: 0800 470 80 90. The Silver Line is a free confidential telephone helpline offering information, friendship and advice to older people in the United Kingdom, available 24 hours a day.

 

We hope you find our tips and advice helpful during these difficult times. If you do have any queries then please feel free to contact your local Ableworld store team as we will be more than happy to help.

In the meantime, stay safe and we hope to see you soon.

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