Five ways to be positive now and after lockdown

Many of us were looking forward to seeing the back of 2020. But only a few days into 2021, we were placed into another lockdown.

This one seemed even more challenging because we were in the middle of winter. Dark evenings, cold temperatures, and being confined to the house was really tough going.

But spring is almost here, the clocks will be going forward soon, and we’ll hopefully see much more of the sun. It’s amazing what a bit of sun can do for our mood!

So as we start to come out of lockdown, try these five things to boost your mood and become more positive.

Get active

If you’ve been keeping up with your exercise over the past two months, then we applaud you. But if you’ve lacked the motivation to exercise; we totally get it. It’s been dark and cold, and the weather has been unpredictable.

But as we start to come out of lockdown, now is the time to get back to it. Schools and colleges were the first to reopen on the Prime Minister’s roadmap, along with the chance to meet one other person outside. So why not meet a friend for a walk, jog or cycle - socially distanced, of course.

Then from Monday 29th March, restrictions will lift a little bit more. Outdoor sports and the rule of 6 outdoors will return. Grabbing at least 10 minutes of exercise will help release endorphins into the bloodstream and make you feel better!

Stop over-thinking

It’s perfectly normal to worry. Many of us overthink and dwell on problems. But now is the time to try and break that habit.

Try shifting your focus from worries to practical problem-solving. If you've been worrying about a problem for 30 minutes or more without coming up with a plan of action, or you've been going over questions with no answers, it's time to stop.

Hopefully, this study will provide you with some reassurance. It says that only around one in ten worries ever turn out to be real problems. If you stop over-thinking and switch your attention to the things you have some control over, you’ll start to feel much calmer.

Set some targets

Setting goals and targets aren't just for super organised people. Everyone can do it, and it's actually really enjoyable.

Having things to look forward to and something to work towards is a great way to boost positivity too.

It doesn't have to be a ten-year plan. It could be something like learning a language or trying to cook a new recipe.

Goal-setting will help you open your mind, keep you focused, and help you gain a sense of control. It will also help you to feel good about yourself. After all, how good does it feel when you achieve one of your targets?

Make time to talk

We’re social beings; it’s in our genetic make up. So it’s no wonder we all feel better when we have social contact with other people. The past year has been tough because we’ve not had the same level of interaction with our friends and family.

But from the moment you finish reading this, make an effort to be more social. You can do it however you like, through text, email, video or phone call, but try to reach out to somebody you haven’t spoken to for a little while. We need our social connections, so let's make the most of what we have until we can go back to the way things used to be.

Do it badly

When we saw this online, we thought “are you sure?”. But it is so true. Read on to see why this is a great way to approach any task.

The practice of doing it badly is about having a go and being fine with how it turns out, even if it doesn’t go as well as you hoped.

If you are always waiting for the perfect moment to start something, would you ever get going at all? Just having a go at something helps you to overcome your lack of control and be more decisive.

The biggest lesson is that you get to learn and improve as you go along. This Tedx talk from anxiety researcher Olivia Remes explains it perfectly!

How are you feeling about coming out of lockdown? What are you looking forward to? What are you worried about? Have you got any positivity tips for us to try?