5 ways online self-care can help our wellbeing through lockdown
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To keep our physical, mental and emotional reserves topped up, we need to prioritise our health and wellbeing – hard to do when the usual supports are off limits: gyms, friends’ houses, face-to-face appointments with therapists.
Luckily, technology provides plenty of digital self-care tools that we can access without ever leaving home.
If you’ve a health concern unrelated to Covid-19, you need to get it checked out. A digital doctor can be a quick, easy option. MyClinic.ie offers secure video consultations with GPs, mental health therapists and physiotherapists. They offer smart home blood testing, STI screening and repeat prescription service for issues like female contraception and male sexual health. Video consults with GP: €35; home blood and STI tests start at €49.
Consultant psychiatrist and MD of MyClinic, Dr Daniel Clear, says the last year has seen tele-health grow in popularity. “We’ve seen rates surge.” And UK research shows 20% of people now use it compared with 3-5% pre-coronavirus.
GP24.ie provides private patients with 24/7 access to GP consultations by phone or via video. Fee for full video GP consult varies depending on time of consultation: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, €40; Monday-Friday 5pm-9am, €45; Weekend (Friday 5pm-Monday 9am), €60.
Doctors at MyClinic.ie and GP24.ie are based in Ireland and registered with Irish Medical Council.
FLYEfit developed FLYEPLUS, their on-demand, online workout portal during lockdown one. Now available free to everyone during this current lockdown, it’s packed with over 120 classes including conditioning, dance-fit, yoga, Pilates and mobility.
Mobility classes are among most in-demand – ideal for those remote-working, especially if spending long hours on laptops at kitchen tables, they’re designed to relieve tension, improve posture and help prevent injury. Classes are fun, suitable for all fitness levels; each class lasts 30-40 minutes.
FLYEfit’s also hosting virtual fitness classes free on their social media channels. Not a FLYEfit member? You can access it as a non-member.
As part of the Government’s Keep Well campaign, Sport Ireland has created a suite of online exercise content/exercise videos specifically for new mums, older people and children with autism. Each is a six-part series led by expert trainers.
Age & Opportunity’s free phone-based volunteer line, Fitline, encourages callers to become more active and gives advice/tips on how to get started. Perfect if you want to be more active but aren’t sure where to begin. Volunteers recommend ways to incorporate simple physical activities into day-to-day routine. Phone 1800 303545 to register interest – a member of Fitline’s Active team will call you back.
The Get Ireland Walking App is part of the ‘Keep Well’ campaign to support people in a changing landscape and make walking supports/events more accessible digitally – available for download on the App Store and Google Play.
Turn2me was the first organisation in Ireland to provide professional mental health support services entirely online. The pandemic has seen a spike of 368% in demand for services.
Free and accessible to all (aged 12+), Turn2me provides online ‘face-to-face’ counselling, as well as a host of digital and anonymous supports, e.g. ‘Thought Catcher’.
Turn2me clinical manager Brian Holohan says ‘Thought Catcher’ is like scaffolding, helping you take the first step and providing a starting point for conversation.
“By logging one thought daily, you can look back and see what situations shape and impact your mental wellbeing. It includes options to log your mood on that day, a place to write down your feelings and track your thoughts. As well as self-reflection, you can also share your thoughts on the moderated online peer support community.”
Aware’s free monthly webinar series takes place on the second Wednesday of the month (12 noon-1pm) and features expert panel discussing a range of mental health topics. Over 1,000 people registered for January’s webinar. More info at: www.aware.ie
You can tune in at whatever time suits to Mental Health Ireland’s podcast series – themes include loneliness, technology and youth mental health, sleep, nutrition and reflecting on resilience. Access on exa.mn/MHI-podcast
And to feel less stressed, more resilient and happier, meditation company Headspace promises it all starts with just a few minutes a day.
Dublin-based meditation centre The Sanctuary will broadcast a Soundbath on Friday, February 26 at 7pm.
Waves of soothing, echoing sound from traditional wind and percussion instruments – ‘sound bath’ – may help with stress/fatigue/depression symptoms, according to research published in Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. The Sanctuary’s soundbath uses Tibetan singing bowls, chimes, gongs and drums. No fixed cost – give what and if you’re able.
The Sanctuary also has three free weekly online meditation sessions delivered via Zoom. Around 500 participate between the three sessions. Register/join in at www.sanctuary.ie
Mindful Movement teacher Caitríona Nic Ghiollaphádraig has an eight-class series focusing on the Open Floor Movement Meditation Cycle on Zoom on Thursday nights. Cycle comprises sitting, walking and moving meditation practices – each stage has focus on and movement of mind, body and heart.
Nic Ghiollaphádraig says through the practice you may become “more present in your body, cultivate mindfulness, improve flexibility in mind/body, decrease stress response, increase energy flow/vibrancy, enhance emotional wellbeing and awaken your creative response to life”.
Sessions, 7-8pm, Thursday nights, up to and including March 25. €10 per person per class – classes can be taken as drop in or as a series. Email caitriona@embodiedbrain.ie.
The pandemic/lockdowns have radically changed how people work, and many will be struggling with these transitions while feeling quite isolated. Some may be re-thinking their career. There has probably never been so much need for coaching around work choices.
Cork-based career coach Patricia Tiernan will shortly launch a free online interview series with people who’ve successfully changed career. Meanwhile, she recommends Seven Career Coaching for free career coaching webinars. Useful content includes ‘Managing Anxiety through Uncertainty’ and ‘How to Job Search in Times of Coronavirus’.
The 2020/2021 RCSI MyHealth lecture series explores the many physical, mental and emotional health issues that have arisen during Covid-19. Playlist to previous lectures at: exa.mn/MyHealthSeries. Lectures include ‘Managing Coronaphobia - Stay Present’ and ‘Supporting Child and Youth Health’. Lectures are open to everyone, free and typically last 30-45 minutes.
Also, starting on Wednesday, March 3, RCSI’s Centre for Positive Psychology and Health will run online course on ‘The Science of Health and Happiness’, consisting of 10 webinars/pre-recorded lectures. Suitable for a general public audience, it’s free of charge. Register at: exa.mn/RCSI-positive-psychology
Dr Jolanta Burke, chartered psychologist and assistant professor in Maynooth University’s Department of Education, recommends:
- Engage in activities with friend/family member who’ll encourage you when you’re losing motivation.
- On day one, write a letter (in bullet points) to your future self, detailing why you decided to engage with activities. When motivation flags, read letter back – it’ll remind you of your initial motivation.
- Plan when you’re going to do the activity; put a reminder in your diary.
- Start small and incrementally build up: five minutes today, 10 tomorrow and so on.
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