Some thoughts for our 3rd National Lockdown

Happy New Year to you all and what a start we have had.

First, some of us have had snow, but all of us have had a cold and frosty start to the year. With work recommencing for all of us, some still must travel so a quick reminder of how to tackle Winter Driving.

• If the forecast or conditions are severe, only drive if your journey is necessary
• Plan your journey in advance and allow longer to get to your destination
• Ensure you carry a small survival kit – warm clothing, blanket, adequate footwear, Hi-Viz and
  torch in your car not your boot – also remember that you coat is not your car.
• Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged before you commence your journey.
• Allow 15 minutes to properly prepare your car before you drive – removing ice/snow from windows and ensuring that lights etc are all working.
• When driving increase the distance between and the vehicle in front when in icy or snowy conditions. Stopping distances are 10 times longer in snow.
• Accept and prepare for delays – put your safety first.

Secondly as we have moved into another lockdown, like the one in March last year let us reflect again on the 3 ‘Rs’ of wellbeing:

Relationships –

By nature we are all social beings and having social and positive relations are key to us all flourishing.

Not only do we need to nurture our positive interpersonal relationships we also
need to see the relationships between who we are, what we do, the impact of any of our actions and how we all react emotionally.

To enable us to do all these things we need to be given opportunities to reflect.

Reflection –

We are now living in probably the most stimulating times in our history. We have hundreds of TV channels to choose from, so many social media  updates to keep on top of and our smartphones continually buzzing in our pockets.

Enslavement to technology is a daily constant in our lives. As humans we have created a world in which we see very little value in reflecting on what, why and how of our experiences. We need to build up our resilience.

Resilience –

The World Health Organisation predicts that by 2030 depression will be the largest
cause of illness in the western world. One of the definitions of resilience is “the ability to bounce back from adversity”. This then serves as a protective factor against depression.

We all do a good job of proactively addressing our physical health, but are we being proactive enough in nurturing our
mental health?

I have said it before, but I will repeat it, here are some general tips to do if you are feeling down and need to build up your resilience:

• Talk to someone – remember our Mental Health First Aiders or senior lead team members are here if you need to chat.
• Ensure you take some ‘me’ time to relax, maybe listening to music, reading a book or even just have a bath.
• Exercise – not just inside on your own but have a socially distanced walk keeping to government guidelines.
• Get a good night’s sleep – go to bed early and read a book – this normally works for me.

Take care and keep safe.

Carole

DCC People