If you’re not familiar with why U.S.Navy Admiral William McRavenbelieves that ‘making your bed’can help you change theworld, watch this inspiring speech.If you make your bed everymorning, you will haveaccomplished the first task of theday,’  he said. ‘It will give you asmall sense of pride, and it willencourage you to do another task,and another, and another. And bythe end of the day that one taskcompleted will have turned intomany tasks completed.’

Remember that we are experiencing atrauma right now. This isn't normal and is achallenging time for everyone. It isimportant to be kind to others, but mostimportantly ourselves. So, if a strict routineevery single day doesn’t work, just try andset some sort of structure that works foryou. It's okay to not be on it all the time.Cut yourself some slack.

These are tricky times for everyone. You may well feel that life was hardenough already, even before Covid-19, and that this has just made it

harder. Being cooped up at home, without our usual distractions, is noteasy. So try and be kind to yourself. You don’t have to get everything right;

you just have to muddle through with everyone else. Do something justfor you every day. Be kind to others. We are all in the same boat with

Covid-19. Doing a small kindness for others every day will help them andyou. Find out what you could do, by asking. Have a go at some of our ideas

for surviving well. Just pick one. Small steps are the way ahead...

ROUTINE

Surviving Well in Difficult Times

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Creating a new routine will give you a sense of order andnormality. Have a go at this, and make sure you build intime to do things you enjoy. If you live with other people, you could ask them to helpyou. Getting up at regular times, showering, and gettingdressed can help you feel better.

Routine can also be maintained through oursleeping habits. Go to bed at sensible times. Health professionals say that during self-isolation we should continue to wake up, getdressed and try to do something productivewith the day.

©tastelifeuk 2020

EATING WELL

It is important to try to eat well. If food is alreadyan issue this can be doubly hard. Try to plan yourmeals, and give yourself permission to be flexibleif you don’t have all the foods you would normallyhave. Everyone is having to make compromisesand you are not alone.

The UK is not going to run outof food so you don’t have todeliberately eat less to rationfood or use this as an excuseto do so – eat an amount youknow to be healthy for yourbody. Look after yourself. Ourbodies deserve to benourished, loved and caredfor just like we do.

When going food shopping,prepare a list in advance.Have alternatives in mind incase your ‘safe food option’ isnot in stock at thesupermarket. It's okay for

things to bechallengingright now, it'sokay if youreatingpatterns areirregular, it'sokay if you'resnackingmore, movingless. Thatdoesn't meanyour struggleis invalid, aseatingdisorders don'ttake days off.But thingswon’t be thisway forever.This is anunique anddifficultsituation andwhat mattersmost is takingcare of yourselfand being wellenough to lookout for others.

If you’ve bought lots of foodand you may be temptedto binge, perhaps keep itsomewhere more difficultto get to such as a shed, orthe attic. Try to avoidbuying lots of binge foods(you can still have treats -buy single or small ones). The key to manage bingeeating is not to diet, restrictor allow yourself to gohungry. Permit yourself toeat all foods in moderation.

Try and set meal times each dayand stick to them. Also set snacktimes (this can help avoidsnacking throughout the day).Try to eat at least three mealseach day (and snacks) and drinkplenty of water. Keeping wellhydrated is also really important.Try not to skip meals. Try to limithow many high-caffeine drinksyou have, and avoid too muchalcohol.

If you are now living 24/7 with apartner, your family, or roommate,this may increase anxiety aroundfood. What was once secret is nowmore difficult to hide and tocontrol. Use this support to youradvantage. Ask for help. Be honestwhen you are struggling – don’thide. Challenge your feelings,thinking and behaviour.

If you are on your own and isolation ismaking it worse, get in touch withfriends or family. You could join them forvirtual mealtimes and eat together.Maybe schedule calls immediately aftereating and intentionally seek out virtualcompany for these particularlyvulnerable moments.

Many people with and without eatingdisorders are talking openly about fears ofweight gain. This can be hugely triggeringif you have issues with food. It’s a realitythat your exercise patterns and regularroutine are going to change for a while.Accepting this can be really helpful. Ifyou’ve been compulsively over-exercising,this could be a time to gently address thisand begin to accept a new level of activity.

©tastelifeuk 2020

KEEP IT BALANCED

Being isolated andnot being able to doyour usual exerciseroutine can bechallenging. It isimportant to havebalance, to keepactive but also to giveyourself permissionto rest.

Keeping activedoesn’t just meandoing sport, runningor going to the gym.Walking, gardeningor housework canalso keep you active.

We all need food, regardless of ouractivity level. Food should never beseen as a ‘reward’, but is vital for ourbodies to function. Exercise is to keepour bodies and minds healthy andstrong. But please reduce exercise ifit's due to guilt or purely to burncalories.

Don’t forget toalso keep yourmind active –crosswords,sudoku, readingor doingsomethingcreative -something thatyou really enjoyand can focus on.

©tastelifeuk 2020

STAY CONNECTED

Agree regular check-in times and feel connected to those around you.Love to grab coffee with a friend? Still do it - each in your own homes,but making a call to chat whilst you drink it!

Stay connected with loved onesthrough WhatsApp, Skype andFaceTime.Talking about your feelings isn’t asign of weakness; it’s really importantfor all of us. Talk about your feelingsto family and friends. They may bestruggling in different ways to you –you can support each other.

Remember, over thecoming weeks youmay have to be alone,but you don’t have tobe lonely. Face to facecontact is going to bevery limited - but weare blessed to befacing this crisis in the21st century wheremost of us have someaccess to phones andsocial media for otherforms of connection.Make sure you havethe right phonenumbers and emailaddresses of thepeople you care about.

Sometimes things are thrown at you that you cannot control. The only thingyou can control is how you deal with them. Do not run away. Do not let itcontrol you. Talk to someone and do not be ashamed to ask for help. You aremore than what you are going through. Remember things can and will getbetter.

©tastelifeuk 2020

LIMIT THE NEWS

Limit the amount of time youspend reading (online or on socialmedia) or watching things whicharen't making you feel better. Youcould choose a specific time eachday to watch or read the news.

Have breaksfrom socialmedia and mutethings which aretriggering.There is a lot ofmisinformationcirculating - sostay informed bysticking totrusted sourcesof informationsuch as thegovernment,NHS and theWorld HealthOrganisationwebsites. Focuson evidence andfacts, rather thanfear and rumour.

Some ‘good’ news sites:The Happy Broadcast is a websitethat brings good news stories fromaround the world. Friendly graphicsand large font make it great for kidsto view too.Positive News is an online magazineabout the good things that arehappening.Optimist Daily is focused on the hereand now where people can get thegood news of the day.

Take a walk as partof your daily exercise.Even if you livewithin a town therewill be lots ofgardens withbeautiful flowers andblossom trees tolook at.

©tastelifeuk 2020

CONNECT WITH NATURE

Being in nature or bringingnature into your everyday life canbenefit both your mental andphysical wellbeing. If you have agarden, make the most of it. If notthere are lots of things you can doinstead.

You may be able to buy seeds,flowers or plants online fordelivery, to grow and keepeither outdoors or even indoors.If you order items for delivery,ask to have them left at yourdoorstep, to avoid face-to-facecontact.

See some of the most beautiful sites andanimals in the world from your own home: Google Arts and Culture have made a hugerange of sites and museums availablethrough virtual tours online. Explore Pompeiior the Eiffel Tower. As well as art and culture you can now accesslive video footage of animals and birds, zoosand seaside destinations, both around theworld and within the UK (Cornwall). www.birdsong.fm is a radio station dedicatedto playing birdsong 24/7. Relax to the tranquilsounds of dawn chorus on your mobile,tablet or desktop.

Arrange acomfortablespace to sit, forexample by awindow whereyou can look outover a view oftrees or the sky, orwatch birds andother animals.

Listen to naturalsounds, likerecordings or appsthat play birdsong,ocean waves orrainfall. Get as muchnatural light as youcan. Spend time withthe windows open tolet in fresh air (if it isnot too cold).

For Christians, the source of courageand security is God. While we arelooking at God, we do not see ourselves.It is the story of many Christians alreadythat they have found Jesus to be afaithful friend in stormy times. Jesus even promises peace beyond ourown abilities, if we give our cares tohim. And in days when we may nothave many other people to distractourselves from our own thoughts, thismay be even more blessed than usual.Take time to read the Bible, pray. Again,connect where possible, share worshiptracklists, take moments to pray andworship with others over the internet orvia phone calls - whatever works foryou.

©tastelifeuk 2020

PLUG INTO YOUR SPIRITUAL SOURCE

When everything is so uncertainand full of chaos, we need to relyon the only truly dependable,unchanging source of comfort -but also of other things that areso essential to us as humanbeings - joy, hope, and comfort.

CONTINUE TO ACCESS SUPPORT

Ask about having appointmentsby phone, text or online. Forexample, this could be with yourcounsellor, therapist or supportworker.

Ask about having appointmentsby phone, text or online. Forexample, this could be with yourcounsellor, therapist or supportworker.

Join an online tastelifecourse! Keep an eye onour website where we'llbe listing those startingup.

AnxietyUK suggests practising the"Apple" technique to deal with anxietyand worries: Acknowledge: Notice andacknowledge the uncertainty as itcomes to mind. Pause: Don't react as you normally do.Don't react at all. Pause and breathe. Pull back: Tell yourself this is just theworry talking, and this apparent needfor certainty is not helpful and notnecessary. It is only a thought orfeeling. Don't believe everything youthink. Thoughts are not statements orfacts. Let go: Let go of the thought or feeling.It will pass. You don't have to respondto them. You might imagine themfloating away in a bubble or cloud. Explore: Explore the present moment,because right now, in this moment, allis well. Notice your breathing and thesensations of your breathing. Noticethe ground beneath you. Look aroundand notice what you see, what youhear, what you can touch, what you cansmell. Right now. Then shift your focusof attention to something else - onwhat you need to do, on what you weredoing before you noticed the worry, ordo something else - mindfully withyour full attention.

©tastelifeuk 2020

ASK FOR HELP

None of us are superhuman.We all sometimes get tired oroverwhelmed by how we feelor when things go wrong. Ifthings are getting too muchfor you and you feel you can’tcope, ask for help.

USEFULWEBSITES

Mind - Coronavirus andyour wellbeing BBC - Coronavirus: Howto protect your mentalhealth BEAT - Eating Disordersand Coronavirus Tastelife - tastelifeuk.org Facebook: tastelife UK Twitter: @tastelifeuk