Look after your physical health:

• Get enough sleep
• Eat a nourishing diet
• Follow a routine
• Exercise for fitness and for fun
  You can exercise at home. Here is a website with some ideas on how to utilise everyday items in an exercise program:
  https://www.readersdigest.ca/health/fitness/fitness-equipment-household-items/
• Have a little dance around from time to time. Who cares who is watching!

Be Social:

• Keep in touch with friends via phone/Skype/WhatsApp/Messenger
• Keep in touch with family via phone/Skype/WhatsApp/Messenger
• Keep in touch with neighbours via phone/Skype/WhatsApp/Messenger. Ideas for engagement include asking grandchildren or local children to practice their musical instrument or put on a performance in your front garden.
• Join an online choir. Check out Pub-Choir-to-Couch-Choir and The-Sofa-Singers both can be found online.

Look after your mental health:

• Mental Health Australia E-Guide: Looking after your Mental health during a pandemic
• Seek mental stimulation examples of which could include having a jigsaw puzzle on the go, doing word or number puzzles (can be on paper or online) or start a creative project.  Read our Thrive Guide for more ideas on self-care
• Endeavour to be kind to yourself with positive inner dialogue
• Put aside an area just for you. It could be a room, a chair or a spot in the garden where you can relax and be comfortable
• Write in a journal or diary
• Listen to a podcast. Here are just a couple of suggestions that are not current affairs:
  -Strong Songs (breaks down and discusses the secrets of famous songs)
  -Everything is Alive (An unscripted interview show in which all the subjects are inanimate objects)
• Re-read a favourite book or re-watch a favourite movie or TV series
• Feed birds in your garden
• Allow yourself to cry
• Allow yourself to laugh
• Take part in activities and seek out opportunities to acknowledge and express your feelings. Some examples include:
  -Phone Counselling: https://counselling.carergateway.gov.au/s/
  -Carer Gateway forum: https://forum.carergateway.gov.au/s/
  -Peer group support: https://www.carersact.org.au/support-groups/
  -Carer Self-Guided coaching:  https://coaching.carergateway.gov.au/

Consider your spiritual health:

• Connect with your spiritual believes
• Meditate
• Do breathing exercises
• Celebrate milestones with rituals that are meaningful to you
• Practice yoga. A few options include: Yoga with Adrienne. This is free on Youtube. Down Dog is a free yoga app.

Great articles:

Your survival guide to staying at home:

https://theconversation.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/r/704E557F6B12255A2540EF23F30FEDED/9F1EE7E728FEECE27EEA1DAE616D4B3C

The Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 We Aren’t Talking About

Excellent analysis from Shine magazine: https://advice.shinetext.com/articles/the-mental-health-impact-of-covid-19-we-arent-talking-about/

I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share
Take it from someone who couldn’t: Go outside.

Scott Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut, wrote this opinion piece for the New York Times. Click on the image below.

External Resources

Government resources 

• ACT Government COVID19 websitehttps://www.covid19.act.gov.au/home
• ACT Government COVID19 resourceshttps://www.covid19.act.gov.au/resources
• ACT Government’s new COVID19 hotline on 02 6207 7244 between 8am and 8pm daily
• ACT Health: Mental Health and Wellbeing during COVID-19 

https://www.health.act.gov.au/services-and-programs/mental-health/mental-health-and-wellbeing-during-covid-19 

• ACT Education: Home learning resources for students and families 

https://sites.google.com/ed.act.edu.au/act-home-learning/resources-to-support-home-learning 

• Australian Government Department of Health COVID19 health alerthttps://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert

Mental health  

• Lifeline: Mental health and wellbeing during the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak:

https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/topics/mental-health-and-wellbeing-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak 

• Black Dog Institute: Coronavirus: Resources for anxiety, stress & wellbeinghttps://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/coronavirus-anxiety-resources 
• The Australian Psychological Society tips for coping with coronavirus anxiety:https://www.psychology.org.au/getmedia/3821ed7a-1a8a-4e1d-b303-2943ea9ae6b7/20APS-IS-COVID-19-Public-P2_2.pdf
• Beyond Blue Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Servicehttps://coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au/
• Lifeline: Mental health and wellbeing during the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreakhttps://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/topics/mental-health-and-wellbeing-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak

Parenting and Children  

• Paediatrics.online: COVID-19 information page providing great resources on talking to children and young peoplehttps://paediatrics.online/covid-19/ 
• WHO resources: Parenting in the time of COVID-29:https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/healthy-parenting 
• Emerging minds: Supporting children during the COVID19 outbreakhttps://emergingminds.com.au/resources/supporting-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/
• Raising children website: COVID19 and children in Australia o COVID19: talking with children about physical distancing and self-isolationhttps://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z-health-reference/coronavirus-and-children-in-australia
• BeYou& BeyondBlue’s student Wellbeing Toolkit: online resources to support student wellbeing 

https://beyou.edu.au/resources/tools-and-guides/wellbeing-tools-for-students 

• The Parents website: Coronavirus – a guide for parents to support their childrenhttps://www.theparentswebsite.com.au/coronavirus-guide-parents-support-children/

Resources for Young People  

• Headspace: We are here for you during COVID19https://headspace.org.au/covid-19/
• ‘COVID 19: How to not panic, but not to switch off’- A post aimed at young people who are going through the COVID-19 pandemic in Australiahttps://gomcentral.elmplace.org.au/covid-19-how-to-not-panic-but-not-switch-off/

Other resources 

• Domestic Violence Crisis Service: Ways to increase safety during Covid-19https://dvcs.org.au/ways-to-increase-safety-during-covid-19/
• SNAICC: COVID-19 resources for children, families, communities and serviceshttps://www.snaicc.org.au/resources/helpful-resources-for-children-and-families/?mc_cid=29793e3bad&mc_eid=62dfc58d2c
• NACCHO: Aboriginal Health News Alertshttps://nacchocommunique.com/?mc_cid=29793e3bad&mc_eid=%5BUNIQID%5D
• National Debt Helpline: COVID19 Financial survival guidehttps://ndh.org.au/debt-problems/covid19/
• Community Info Hub (Volunteering ACT):https://www.volunteeringact.org.au/community-info-hub/
• Updated Services & Programs Info Guide (due to COVID-19:https://fcdfb4d8-decb-44cb-891e-2688b91b0d32.filesusr.com/ugd/c2ff48_8fde5057deb44751a5cbb48dac4c1c10.pdf