In this week’s blog, we spoke to the Phlo team and asked them to share their personal tips, habits and activities that helps them stay on top of their mental wellbeing. We hope you enjoy!
“As someone who lives on their own and has had to self-isolate twice in the last 3 months, the most important thing for me was being able to maintain some level of human contact. I made sure that I arranged Zoom/facetime calls with my friends or family at least twice a week. I also converted my usual gym classes to online classes. This was a great way to get my exercise in and chat with other people in the group.
I also frequently use an app called Calm which has guided meditation for beginners and sleep stories for if I ever have trouble falling asleep. I’d recommend any sleep story read by Cillian Murphy! “
“In the mornings, I personally like to get up and have a cuppa and either read or take part in Jo Wicks “Wake Up With Joe”.
If I don’t do anything else for myself, I’ve at least helped my body and wellbeing by concentrating on something other than work-based tasks during my mornings.”
“During the week, to break up the monotony of working at home and the shorter days, I make sure I get out for a walk at lunchtime to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. This has been a great hack for breaking up the day and gives me time to process my thoughts.
On top of this I turn off all devices at 8 pm and make sure I have an hour before bed with zero screen time (including television). I use this time to read a few chapters of a book and relax before bed”.
“I find myself pretty frustrated being in one spot all day, so during lockdown I got back into running that I had hated since school, but now I love! I went from struggling with a 4k to doing 2x 10k a week when I was furloughed. If I wasn't running I would always do a big, long walk and spy on pretty houses around my neighbourhood. I was also part of a gym PT group training that transitioned to Zoom classes, and that was nice catching up with the team and discussing how we were feeling and coping, as well as working out.
Otherwise, I'm still pretty bad for limiting my screen time, but I love hearty and healthy food like salads (obsessed with porridge) and limiting my caffeine by switching to tea for some of the day helped with anxiety and jittery feeling.”
There are a few things that I love to do which help me keep my mental health in decent shape!
Too much time away from nature hinders my productivity and creativity. When things are busy in my professional and personal life, I always make sure I get at least 1 day per week out in the open, whatever the weather. Lockdown has meant that I haven't been to the sea or the mountains in a while, but there are plenty of great walks and trails that have helped me get through 2020 so far.
I also have seen how my moods can be affected by being too serious for too long. If I have had a week of technical/commercial focussed activity I try to ensure I spend time indulging in something more inspiring and artistic. This doesn't need to have a direct output, but more often than not it helps generate new ideas that can make their way into our advertising campaigns.
This year has been unlike any other, and I would never have imagined how important video calls and project management systems would become. Our team meet online at least once per day, and this has helped us stay connected but also maintain our ability to share feedback openly. A big part of that for me is being seen and seeing my colleagues. It doesn't compare to face-to-face interaction, but under current circumstances, it's helped us maintain our momentum for sure.
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