Mum’s Lockdown challenge proves an inspiration for all of us
Among the different challenges presented to us during spells of lockdown, restrictions and social isolation, has been the ability to find motivation amidst our day-to-day grind.
I think many of us know that things can get mundane when we are not allowed to do so many of the little things that we tend to look forward to during a week and at the weekend.
With this in mind, I have been particularly proud of my mum’s journey during this latest Lockdown 2.0.
When the tough restrictions were announced in November, she vowed that she would go for a walk every day and, with those 28 days now up, she has completed her goal!
Challenges
It is a wonderful example to us all on how setting challenges and goals, and being determined to reach them, can not only be good for your physical health but tremendously rewarding for your mental health too.
My sister suggested that she made each day’s walk along a different route and she has done herself and our family so proud. She was very committed, she pushed herself to go out when the weather was bad and she says she feels brilliant for doing it.
Mum’s walks have been anything from 20 minutes up to an hour-and-a-half. Some days, she has been ‘around the block’, other days, she has done up to six miles! She has looked for different routes and found parts of her local area that she never knew existed.
And what has been even more incredible is that she has been inspiring other friends and family to get out and join her – all in a socially-distanced way, of course.
Exercise
I have been out with her for a few walks, and found it has been a great way to get some exercise and catch up with her at the same time, during a spell when we are restricted from seeing our family as much as we would like to.
She has also been joined by some of her fellow volunteers at LOROS, a local hospice, who have all missed their usual friendship at work. A stroll and a natter has done them all the world of good.
Even bad weather has struggled to stop her!
So, well done mum. I’m proud of you (as I know my sisters are too) and I hope her little personal pick-me-up might remind a few more people of the benefits of setting personal goals and challenges to help you through testing times.
Despite the pandemic, positive vibes will keep us smiling
Last week, I felt myself getting annoyed about something and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, until I heard it someone say it out loud … ‘Christmas is cancelled’!
I have seen the phrase ‘Christmas is cancelled’ in the media, on TV and in many social media platforms too but hearing it from someone close to me made it stronger. The negative vibes flowing off a phrase like that are obvious.
As lockdown restrictions continue in varying forms up to, and beyond the festive season, we have been painted a very dim outlook of traditional celebrations this year, despite there being talk of a relaxing of the rules for a few days either side of December 25.
The reality, however, is that while we will not be able to do whatever we want this year, there is still plenty of things we can do to give ourselves a festive glow, spread a bit of positivity and to make the most of a tough situation at the end of a very tough year.
Shared on Facebook
So, on a cold and wintery afternoon, I shared my thoughts on my Facebook page and asked my friends: ‘what have you enjoyed and what things have brought a smile to you recently?’
The responses brought a big smile to my face.
And the speed at which the responses came made me think that other people, like me, were very keen to spread a bit of joy in the world too.
Putting up Christmas trees, lights and decorations ‘early’ was high on the list of replies but so were the basics of life that we all too often overlook.
Family time, baking, fresh air, Sunday roasts, supportive family and friends, baths, films and a general slower pace of life with nowhere to rush off to.
It’s amazing how good the simple things in life can be at times.
Resilient
It also shows how resilient we can be as humans to find joy in testing times.
Perhaps these months we have spent restricted by a pandemic will also teach us to be more aware of positives that we have in life.
As a therapist, that is one of the things I try to work on with people. Not focusing on life’s negatives, or what we can’t do, but being aware of good things that are around us and our achievements. It’s just that we don’t tend to see them so easily.
Perhaps we could create a platform where people can share their positive vibes? I know reading the responses to my Facebook post certainly made me feel happy.
So, whatever we are allowed to do this Christmas, have a good time and spread some joy. One thing I am certain of, is that we all deserve it.
I am an BSc Occupational Therapy student currently in my final year. Here’s a little bit about my journey to OT and why I love it…
Like many people, when I first came across Occupational Therapy I had no clue in the world as to what it was. In college I knew I wanted to go to university and study something health-care related. But I wasn’t sure what. As the time slowly approached to write up a personal statement for UCAS, my dad who works in a hospital told me to just to do a five day work-experience within the Occupational Therapy department and see where this takes me. Before this point I had never even heard of Occupational Therapy.
This is the bit where you think I’m going to say I went there and knew it was the career for me. NOPE. Although the Occupational Therapists were nice and insightful, I was more confused than ever – unsure of what exactly it was they did (I just thought it was about providing equipment to whoever needs it!). Nevertheless, I stuck with it and decided to apply for the course. I went on to secure my place at the University of Derby.
As I started the course I slowly learned about the diverse nature of this profession and how broad it can be, this is one of the reasons why I love Occupational Therapy. You can work in hospitals on various wards, social services, GP practices, schools, care homes, even prisons, and the list goes on. I was amazed at how much depth there actually was to learning about occupation, never would I have envisioned it to be that deep and interesting.
After completing two very different placements (one on an acute physical ward and one at a perinatal mental health unit) I soon realised Occupational Therapy is one of the most rewarding careers out there. As it enables patients and service users to reach their potential and improve their health/wellbeing no matter what they are going through, by using the act of ‘doing’ to help facilitate this – and no not by ‘just’ handing out equipment. It is so much more than that, so why not ChooseOT?
I first became aware of the role of an occupational therapist when my close friend developed sepsis and spent a period of time in hospital. She was in a critical condition for 5 weeks but has thankfully made a full recovery. When I went to visit her in hospital, she explained how important the occupational therapists were in her recovery and how they helped to rebuild her confidence. I realised I knew little about occupational therapy and decided to do some research.
At the time, I was coming to the end of my psychology degree and was ensure about my next steps. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I might be well suited for the profession as I believe that everyone has the right to carry out activities that matter to them and I understand how critical these are for an individual’s sense of identity. I learnt that occupational therapists work in mental health settings to help individuals improve their wellbeing by facilitating engagement in occupations. I studied mental illnesses throughout my undergraduate degree, and I have always had an interest in working for mental health services. The thought of being able to apply some of my previous knowledge to a healthcare role excited me and occupational therapy felt like it could be a great fit.
When I graduated, I decided to apply for occupational therapy assistant roles to get a better understanding of the profession. I got a job at a mental health rehabilitation hospital, where I worked for 10 months. I soon realised that occupational therapy is a diverse career that uses a range of skills to help people of all ages with physical and mental impairments in a variety of settings. I enjoyed interacting with service users and developing therapeutic relationships which allowed me to understand what was meaningful to them.
Occupational therapists explore ways to overcome the barriers to engagement to enable independence and assist recovery. I felt a sense of satisfaction and rewarded when I saw service users progress and achieve independence. Human beings have an innate need to engage in purposeful occupation and I quickly recognised how important this is for wellbeing. I thoroughly enjoyed my assistant role and occupational therapy felt like the perfect profession for me, so I applied for the master’s degree at the University of Derby.
I am loving the course so far and I am so excited to graduate next year and start a meaningful career, helping people reach personal goals to achieve a better quality of life.
As a society it’s often thought that we overlook the importance of child mental health, in that some fail to recognise the seriousness of it. According to the NHS in 2017 one in eight 5 to 19 year olds had at least one mental health disorder. Although, mental health services should be accessible to all, only 30% of these children/young people received appropriate interventions or support, which I am sure you’ll agree is an alarming figure.
This could potentially be a result of many reasons such as; gaps in services for at-risk children, negative perceptions or stigma surrounding mental health, lack of education/awareness, difficulty for children to verbalise what they’re going though and many more. Understanding and helping to tackle these barriers is an important step towards facilitating early access to mental health services and improving psychological well-being overall. I believe that the more child mental health is openly discussed and spoken about, the easier it is to break down these barriers and the ‘taboo’ that sadly surrounds it.
For parents who are concerned about your child’s mental health, it is normal to feel scared/confused or wonder where it ‘went wrong’. I would like to offer comfort here by telling you that mental illness does not discriminate; meaning that it can affect anyone regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, religion, childhood, background etc. And the exact cause of most mental disorders is unknown, but research suggests that it can be due to a number of factors.
How you can help…
It is common for adults to misunderstand the importance of, a child’s mental health, sometimes hoping that it is just a ‘phase’, or the child is ‘attention seeking’. The evidence shows that we should encourage children to understand and verbalise their own thoughts and feelings. This can be done through using a range of occupations such as games, drawings/pictures, stories and even using creative activities. To allow them to express what they might be experiencing.
Similarly, when children do express difficult emotions, we might be inclined to tell them ‘it’s all going to be fine’ or ‘there is nothing to worry about’. As much as we want them to feel okay, doing this invalidates their emotions. A better approach is to have open conversations with them, getting them to discuss their feelings, helping them to focus on the positives and where appropriate talking to them about your own feelings. Doing this will reinforce to them that you care and that you are there to listen to them when they need you to.
My final thought is to encourage everyone to educate themselves further on the signs and symptoms of common mental health problems and research what support and services are available for children and young adults. The quicker we can intervene and give a child the help that they need, the less likely these problems are to persist into adulthood.
