Changing MENtality

Lockdown Talk

November 19, 2020 Season 1 Episode 4
Changing MENtality
Lockdown Talk
Show Notes Transcript

In this episode Louis has a conversation with Sam, his friend from University, about how getting through the first lockdown and moving back up to Leeds has been.  They discuss issues they had whilst being locked down, what they learnt as a result and how they are approaching the second lockdown with a new mindset.

Check out our social media links over at:
https://changingmentality.buzzsprout.com/
https://linktr.ee/changingmentalitypodcast

If you were distressed by any of the content in this episode or feel you need extra support, please find  some further resources below:

  • Student Space–Online, one-stop shop’ for students in England and Wales who want to find help for their mental health or well-being.
  • Student Minds website- Information about different support services available, including how to find them and what to expect when using them for the first time.
  • Your GP Service- can refer to specialist support and services.
  • University Student Support Services e.g. counselling, mental health advisers, student advice centre, students’ union.
  • Samaritans-phone 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org
  • HOPELine UK-phone 0800 068 41 41: confidential service specifically for young people (under 35). They can offer crisis support for someone who is experiencing thoughts or feelings of suicide, as well as providing information and advice for those concerned about someone else.
  • Papyrus: email pat@papyrus.uk.org
  • Students Against Depression- The Students Against Depression website has lots of information about tackling depression and low mood, including self -help resources and workbooks for students to work through to start taking steps towards tackling low mood.
  • NHS 111-Non-emergency line run by the NHS.
  • 999-for an emergency situation.
Louis:

Hello there. And welcome back to the change of mentality podcast. I'm Louis Newstead. And this episode is a conversation with my friend Sam about our experiences during lockdown. And the lessons we learned that we'll be taking with us into the second lockdown. This episode was recorded a little while back just before the second lockdown was officially announced. So I think at one point, we do recommend having a kick around the park, but I don't think that applies as much anymore. Thanks for tuning in. And I hope you enjoy the podcast. Just starting off, that was locked down for you anyway.

Sam:

It was a bit difficult. It was different being back home obviously having having had the independence at uni. And you know, it's it's nice to see family again. But when you can't really go out and do anything, you're a bit kind of enclosed. And not, you know, in that, but obviously, you know, can affect you a bit. Yeah. But yeah,

Louis:

yeah, so the same. I mean, it was nice to be home for quite a while, but I didn't really go out that much anyway. I think I went on a few walks, and then sort of stopped doing them just because I was Yeah, I was a bit lazy. I think being lazy definitely affected my mental health result, because I was just sort of in bed most of the day, just getting up to not really do much. So I think it's hard when you don't have like a schedule or anything to actually feel like you have to get up.

Sam:

I think I think to be fair, that the one good thing I can take out of it, is that I really managed to get running a lot more. And then, you know, than I have done in the past, you know, what was I was? And it was for kind of forcing myself to want to go sometimes, you know, be you know, you definitely feel better. Afterwards, you know, I was going at least, you know, every other day. So that was that was just beneficial just to get away from everything for a bit. Just kind of have my time. on my own. You know? Well, yeah, for sure.

Louis:

How has that been since you go back to Leeds and you've been going out and then sort of keeping active as well? Did you go back? Yeah,

Sam:

yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I've been I've been kept going. And I think, you know, I've kind of continued that, you know, I've had a couple of off weeks or whatever, properly. It's not great getting stuck down now. But, you know, I feel like I've busted my leg a little bit. So not sure how long how much I'm going to be doing then. But yeah, I mean, I've been doing, you know, cross country training with other people as well. So that's kind of, you know, that's that's helped to socialise as well, I think, I think getting back up, you kind of realise how much you kind of you miss the social aspect, even if, even if it's not, you know, I think everyone needs needs time on their own. But like, if you're not kind of meeting up with people at all, you know, it's, you know, it's nice to kind of have that bit of normalcy and back a little bit, just kind of reassures you. Yeah, for sure.

Louis:

I think, yeah, because I spent so much time alone at home. And then I did meet up with friends at home. And then like, coming up here, I found that living in a flat, whether it's people in, it's just a lot, it's a lot easier, because you get that sort of social aspect towards just your home life. I haven't really been too much, but like, it's good that you've got this sort of cross country training to get exercise and social time in one. So that yes, pretty good. We've decided that we're all just getting overweight in the house. We bought an exercise bike

Sam:

the danger, isn't it? It's like, you know, say, you know, I've been making sure to get exercising, but sometimes, you know, it's not it's not the best for you just start eating just about more just because there's nothing really else to do. Yeah, and, and, and drinking not, you know, in some some cases of, you know, a lot a lot worse than others people, you know, starting day drinking, whatever, just because there's nothing else to do. It's not always healthy.

Louis:

Yeah, I think the the unique culture sort of surrounding as well. It's like, you have some drinks in your house, especially when you can't go out. It's like you have drinks in your house in the evening. You get like Uber Eats for dinner, and you're just not living a very healthy lifestyle.

Sam:

You know, not if you kind of get into a pattern of eating, you know, rubbish, that you're just gonna feel worse. So, you know, sometimes it can be quite stodgy, whatever. So you just kind of, you know, feel a bit life, you know, I don't want to do anything now. And that puts you in a completely new even worse mood before. And yeah, you just just saw feeling down or whatever. And so I think it's just kind of breaking that cycle. It's kind of forcing yourself to go shopping, you need to say you can just make something new. And I mean, I mean, I'm not particularly that keen on cooking, but I know a lot of people. Yeah, cooking is one of the things that can kind of find some solace in and kind of do an elaborate on to kind of keep you busy.

Louis:

Yeah, definitely, I think that's like, a very healthy sort of habit to have when you're sort of stuck at home, because you can try new things and get the experience from that. But you can also try and eat healthy, which is like, what I tried to do a bit sort of first couple months I've been back is like, try and get back into that routine of cooking every day. Because I think it just like it gives you more options to sort of have a wider variety of food and be a bit healthier instead of just getting like goober eats. But it's hard to force yourself to do sometimes.

Sam:

Yeah, and I think just the name and I mean, services like UberEATS. And, you know, they're putting the deals on there. Now. People are going to be ordering because you might go out for a meal or something, but you can't do that anymore. Sometimes if you just you know, had a terrible day, you just kind of think for you know, I just, you know, bite the bullet in order since then. Rather than Yeah, rather than kind of getting into a good cycle of, of eating, eating. Well.

Louis:

Yeah, I think we're bad for that in this house as well. Like, whenever we see a new deal come out. It's like, Oh, we've got to order from this place.

Sam:

Yeah, try something new. Yeah. Which I mean, if your nose is good, it's got its benefits. Definitely. But it's, yeah, it's just it's just kind of making sure you don't you don't do it too much. And also there's, there's there's nothing really else to spend money on where you know, if you're not going out or whatever, you're kind of almost like more encouraged to kind of let yourself off. Just go Oh, yeah, you know, this, I've not spent any money and anywhere else. And then

Louis:

the majority of like, the money that I've spent since I've got back has been on food because there is just like nothing else to spend it on. So yeah, it definitely adds to the sort of temptation to just get it you're like, Well, I'm not spending anything else.

Sam:

Yes, I think so. As I said, it's, it's, it's a vicious cycle almost. And if any, you know, if you if you're feeling stressed or whatever, anyway, it's kind of, you don't have that motivation to try and kind of change your habits try and actually, you know, start cooking something, it's just easier to, to get to get somebody else to do it, and you don't really achieve anything. Often, you know, if I've just ordered stuff, if I've not been feeling great. I don't, I wouldn't say particularly helps me feel any better. It's just a quick and easy thing, which you know, which which, which isn't, which isn't good.

Louis:

Yeah, it's definitely a vicious cycle. Like whenever I wake up, and I'm like, Oh, I'm not feeling too great today. And then like, order some food or ate bad or whatever. And and by the evening I'm feeling worse because I just haven't really sort of take the initiative to sort of take care of myself on that day. How do you find the motivation to sort of eat healthy and like keep running and everything?

Sam:

I mean, I just I just quite quite enjoy it Really? I don't I don't know what it is. I mean, you know, and some people do it for other kind of health reasons to go health condition. I mean, obviously you know, so it's good to keep it healthy but I just I just kind of enjoy it it's I think being stuck in the house all day I'm just like I just kind of want to go and you know sometimes go for a walk or something from if not fitting fitting up for them but i think it's it's it's nice to kind of get out in in nature really. And I think I think with running as well you can kind of go a lot further because it doesn't necessarily take you as long so you can kind of explore different places which is something that you know, I always love to do, just kind of being out and about just definitely helps but I will agree that the motivations not not always there.

Louis:

No, he said about running and just sort of getting and seeing new places and being outside is such a great help to mental health because I know that the few times that I've taken a walk I know that the past couple of weeks I have shut myself up a little bit and just done a lot of work but whenever I've gone out for a walk or even just like to the shops or whatever and you breathe in the sort of the nice like fresh Autumn air is quite like invigorating. So I think taking a walk even if you're not like motivated for it is it's such a great way of just getting an instant boost.

Sam:

Yeah, yeah, do you usually go on your own which he used to go with other people.

Louis:

Yeah, I usually sort of go on my own like I put on a podcast and then just go down to the shops or just up to the library found that's a good way like I've been collecting books that I don't even really need just so I walk up to the library. Because Yeah, it's kind of

Sam:

Yeah, just to get you out.

Louis:

Yeah, exactly. It's like anything you can do to sort of get you out whether that is like just go into the shops or go into the library anything to get outside for a while. That's good.

Sam:

Yeah, I think you did just wake up some mornings and you know see but I kind of vary When I go for a run sometimes in the morning, and I do quite enjoy it in the mornings, but sometimes you just wake up. And it's the same with every day. It's not just not just with, you know, running, you kind of wake up and you think, well, I've got here No, I'm not gonna go anywhere today, I've got nothing planned what's, what's the point in getting out of bed? Yeah. and wish me now, I've always find that when you just get up, you're alright. But I think it's that it's just that kind of the motivation to get over that and not just, you know, resist the temptation just to, you know, take take the easy route in a way and just just stay in kind of wasting the day.

Louis:

Yeah, it can be quiet, especially like, if it's raining outside as well, you wake up and you look out the window, and you just like, I don't want to get out of bed today. Because we've got like, such a little schedule at the moment, I don't like how many contact hours you have in with the course of the moment.

Sam:

Three hours of seminars, and the lectures are pre recorded. So say barely any really. And the rest of it's the rest of it's just reading, which, you know, I know, it's important, but it's not, you know, without some kind of structure or, you know, more face to face kind of contact, it's, you just kind of don't feel the kind of the need or the purpose to to actually do the reading, you know, it doesn't, almost doesn't kind of feel real, if you get what I mean? Yeah, they're doing a degree, it's just it's because there's really not that much support that we've been given, you know, obviously, in terms of mental health, and in terms of academic structure. You're just kind of left wondering why you kind of doing it, you know, now that really sounds existential, but you kind of wonder why, why you're actually doing anything now. And you're just like, well, what was the point? You know, I've got, I've got nothing on I can't go anywhere, I can't do anything. And stuck in these four walls just sat in front of my laptop all day. Yeah, it's quite, it's quite disheartening, actually.

Louis:

Yeah, I think it definitely gets a bit draining because you don't have that sort of face to face aspect of it, where like, normally sort of like last year, you'd be going in and actually engaging with a lot of the materials, whereas this year is just sort of like sitting at a computer doing the readings and everything like that. Yeah, even in the seminars, you have, like such low participation that sometimes it is just, it's like even more sort of splintered when it comes to the experience of it, because you just don't have a lot of human interaction within the process. It feels very more independent this year. Yeah,

Sam:

yeah, no, definitely. I mean, it is, well, it's, you know, it's not so much for a problem, you know, for the kind of second and third years, but obviously, first years, it's, it's making friends like on your course and stuff, you know, I mean, I, we met like on one of the first lectures, just, you know, last year, but now, they don't have that you can do not a lot of people won't be up for for just going onto someone's Facebook profile they've seen in a seminar and going Oh, hello, how are you? You know, do you want to be my friend or whatever? So I mean, if you don't like your flat as well, I can imagine that can be quite an isolating experience.

Louis:

Yeah, I my heart definitely goes out first years, because it is, like you said, we sort of met, it's a case of you sit next to people in like lectures and seminars. And then that's basically how you make friends. Yeah. But this year, it must be so much harder. I think one of the big things that freshers can do to meet new people is definitely engaging with a lot of societies. But even then, like so much of it is online that it can still be quite hard to engage.

Sam:

Yeah, I mean, societies, you know, I'm in this taking cross country for an example. It's, we're doing kind of social events, but they're all virtual ones. It's normally I think we've had two so far, one of them, one of them was kind of like the first one give it a go, virtual quiz thing, which had a higher turnout than expected, but we had another one. And it was just kind of the older years already knew each other as most of us on on the committee. So I guess that if you're kind of new to the society, it's it's a bit kind of, you're not really sure whether to to join or not, because it's different to an in person social, when you can just go up to somebody, you know, and just start start talking really, or or at least kind of get get involved, somehow, but when you're just kind of on your own stuck at home, it doesn't feel the same.

Louis:

Yeah, I think the barrier of the screen is definitely a big issue because it just feels so separated from from anyone on the other side of it. I've seen a lot yeah, a lot of societies doing a lot of virtual events and trying to sort of pull those people together. And even like in our own school in in politics, we had that POLIS families programme, which like put six students together Just so you know, you can meet your friends and talk. And that worked out for a while and everything. I was talking with my group for a while, and then it was just a case of slowly it sort of died down so it's almost like there's a mixture of wanting to reach How to make friends. But then it can be sometimes quite hard to maintain those contacts online when you're not really seeing them.

Sam:

Yeah, I've never liked, you know, stuff online, particularly socialising, you know, then I hate texting, I just feels kind of easy said it kind of feels detached. You don't really feel like you're having a meaningful conversation, particularly with stuff being online, you know, I've definitely experienced, you know, you know, feelings of loneliness isolation, in it, you know, and they can, they can be difficult to come to kind of combat if you don't, if you don't know where, to where to look for whatever I mean, if you if you have you know, any of those feelings, or,

Louis:

yeah, I think one of the benefits of sort of being in second and third year at the moment is that you're living with people that you know, hopefully, you like, and you get along with. So we are able to, like somewhat rely on our friends in our own homes to help us but yeah, it can be a it does definitely get quite lonely a lot of the time, the way that I've found to sort of deal with it is just really just stay busy and throw myself into a lot of different things. Even with this podcast, basically, it's a case of like, you know, you got to stay busy and give yourself a bit of a schedule. Because otherwise, you're just gonna keep feeling sort of purposeless,

Sam:

it's that yes, that kind of end goal, that you need you you want, you want something to work towards otherwise, you know, you don't really feel like you've got a purpose, you're just taking every day as it comes not really knowing what you're going to be doing. Even tomorrow. It's difficult if you don't, if you don't have a plan, and that's why it's so important. Just even, you know, just kind of thinking of little, little projects you want to do you know, if you're into artsy stuff, you know, you're just doing something like that, if there's something that you've really wanted to do for a while, decorate your room or something. Even that even giving you that little sense of purpose. It does wonders really.

Louis:

Yeah, definitely. I think like having those small goals to work towards really helps. I know that in this situation, we're sort of we're all stuck at home, we have probably more money than we would normally because we're not going out. So you know, you It gives you sort of plenty of opportunity to experiment and try new things. Because I know, I've been playing guitar more. I've bought a proper microphone to actually do podcasting, which is something that I've wanted to do for a while. Yeah. So I think you know, as lonely and repetitive as the day's can get is a case of trying to find things or new things that you enjoy, or you or you've wanted to try for a while. And then you have the opportunity to do so now.

Sam:

Yeah, it's just it can feel too easy sometimes just to kind of slip back into just your day to day normal patterns. And if not really not really doing anything. I mean, you know, I I know people who don't really seem to have done anything in lockdown, even even like not going outside or something just just for a couple of days on end. And it's a bit confusing just in but you kind of feel sorry for them in a way as well.

Louis:

There's definitely something to be said for like, if you really just feel like absolute garbage, and you just can't go sometimes you there are a couple of days like that, that it just unavoidable. Like, you wake up and you're like, Okay, I know, this just isn't gonna be a great day. Sometimes that is what you need just sort of down the sofa. But you have to at least try and sort of get out there trying new things to just stay busy because you don't want to fall off the horse and then not be able to regain that schedule that you've been trying to get.

Sam:

Yeah, if you if you'd like to go into the library or anything, just to like kind of, because I know I've done that a couple of times, to kind of bring back a little bit of a sense of normalcy, something like last year, just go and study in the library just and also just kind of getting a different environment.

Louis:

Yeah, I haven't really been too much to the library aside from just to pick up books, but like, something that I've found has definitely helped me is my bedroom, I don't really do a lot in it aside from I sleep and I work. So when I sort of chill out when I hang out, I'm just sort of in the in the living room. So now I've sort of conditioned my brain to just be ready to work when I'm when I'm at my desk. I think that's definitely helped because I get up, I get out of bed. I just get dressed into like normal clothes and it helps sort of give that sense of normalcy.

Sam:

Yeah, you there's definitely, you know, a lot to be said for separating, you know, setting aside a certain area to work rather than, you know, I mean, I'm a victim to you know, just doing work on my bed and stuff, but it's not. And I've started, you know, making sure I'm working at my desk because even that kind of seems like a little trivial thing. You do kind of as you say condition your brain to be awake at some points and yeah, you know that you don't have the feeling that you can properly relax.

Louis:

I mean obviously like if you're a first year and sometimes it might be hard to sort of make friends with your with your friends. made some have that communal ground. I know like last year, I spent way more time in my bedroom just because it was all like, you know, you don't necessarily want to just take over the living room. I think it's definitely Yeah, there is something to be said for having that space to work in instead of just one space to sort of chill out in because then you just get distracted too easily. I've definitely had to just sort of throw my phone across the room a couple of times, just to get it out of my line of sight. So I couldn't focus.

Sam:

Oh, definitely. Yeah, I think Well, I know, my story, I'm not entirely sure what yours was like. But last year, it was kind of nice in the flat, to have a kind of social space, I know some flats, kind of, they only really have a small kitchen and nowhere to socialise. And if you kind of been told to stay indoors or whatever, and you haven't got that space, that you know, that is just where you can have a little bit of a time off, you can always get a bit overwhelmed with it. You don't really feel like there's any time you can switch off.

Louis:

Yeah, definitely my flat last year was it was like a, you know, it's a classic student accommodation flat, where you've got all the separate rooms, and then like a sort of medium sized combination kitchen living room space, but it wasn't very big. And sometimes we would drag one of flatmates TVs into it. So we could watch like Bake Off or whatever. But it can definitely be hard to make it as sort of social space, because there's not really anything provided there. So like, in our house this year, I don't know if it's the same with you. But we got quite lucky that the house just has a TV in the living room.

Sam:

Yeah, we had a TV in it this last year, as well, which which definitely helped this evening, just, you know, just just watching a film, putting a film on an evening, you can get you to help you to get to know your flatmates a bit better. And then this year as well, yeah, we've we've got a TV here, and in my opinion is lucky. But I think the girls in house would agree we've got Sky Sports on it as well, which, you know, me and me and one last night she and I will watch the fourth year, whatever, we just kind of nice. I'm not the best of football, per se, but just coming back to kind of the point about you know, my running and stuff, just doing sports and and even watching sports can bring quite a lot of, you know, a positivity to, to a lot of people. Yeah,

Louis:

I think sports definitely would help because I'm not really a big sports guy. But I know that, you know, going out for like a kickabout in the park or something like that something that you could do a safe distance, or you'd like to have in that interim period, just to get outside, have a bit of fun. I think that's definitely important. Just getting outside being sociable, and also being sociable around watching sports as well. That's definitely something that could be done.

Sam:

Yeah, I mean, as you said, this is the interim period when everybody kind of began to feel a little bit better. Hoping you know, I thought this was the beginning of the end, really, but now there's gonna be this lockdown. I'm sure that's, that's badly affected, or is going to affect a lot of people because it almost felt like we're making progress. We were on the way out of it. And, and now you just kind of stuck indoors again, and we still don't really know what what's going to happen regarding, you know, going home at Christmas or whatever, you know, I find it hard to imagine that they would keep students but it's, it's, it's a worry for a lot of people, you know, not not being able to see the family or whatever. And just more time be it being cooped up. I mean, it's, it's, it's not good for you to being, you know, inside all this time. It's Yeah, and I think a lot of people are going to be worried about that and the impact that's going to have on them.

Louis:

Yeah, you see a lot of student mental health statistics and stuff around this period where there's been like definitely marked decreases in mental health in students from being locked down. Yeah, it's just it's just not good for anyone I think what would you say is a lesson that you sort of learned from the first lockdown that you might take into the second of like, how to stop that loneliness from sort of taking over?

Sam:

Just keep running. I mean, it's it's just kind of finding that that thing you enjoy, try and avoid screens for a little even just a little bit of a time of the day one thing that I you know, got me back into it lock down she was just kind of sitting down reading Oh, no, you know what I've always liked reading but it's especially last year with with uni work and stuff upon it got out of a bit of a pettern. If you're just reading you kind of get away from from the screen, which as you said is it almost feels more like a barrier then a window.

Louis:

Yeah, definitely. That's a really good way of putting it

Sam:

sometimes. And it's just yeah, it's just kind of nice just to take a bit of time for yourself. And, you know, it's not like you just sat there doing Nothing, you know, you're reading something and you know not and often if it's if it's fiction, you can kind of, you know, go go to another place in in your head, obviously not you can sort

Louis:

of escape them.

Sam:

Yeah, yeah, that's the word. That's the word. Just look after yourself. It's it's just find one or two things that you can do either by yourself or the people you live with. Try and plan out your own your own little schedule. So it kind of the day feels more structured. It doesn't have to be, you know, it is as detailed, you'd have to follow it. Exactly. You need to make sure you just get a good balance of all the different things during your day. Yeah, definitely.

Louis:

Yeah, you find the one or two things that you love doing. And you keep doing those to sort of stay happy. You give yourself that structure, especially if you do have lectures and everything. If you've got more contact hours, I'm sure it's a little better to work your schedule around. But if you like us with a with little contact hours, you sort of build everything around that and try and get up sort of roughly the same time every day. That's definitely helped me.

Sam:

Yeah, I mean, I've I found myself recently getting up earlier, and even I've got nothing on I'll set my alarm for even like half seven quarts away. Just Just because I find personally getting up early, you're up for the day. What's less likely, you're going to be feeling a bit groggy afterwards.

Louis:

Yeah, I can definitely be I can be terrible at getting up early sometimes. I think it is often on personal just sort of, like, however early you can get up do that. Because I know Yeah, yeah,

Sam:

no, exactly. It's, it's, you know, I you know, my housemates kinetic, they can make them very, you know, forgot, but like, half seven or whatever a couple of others. We're getting about that time somewhat get to like 10 ish, or whatever. But that's, you know, that's just that's just people sleeping and getting a good sleep as well is definitely important.

Louis:

I think no matter what time you wake up, try and get like the good eight hours.

Sam:

Yeah, yeah. And, I mean, I don't I don't particularly anyway. But I think sometimes, if there's nothing else to do in the day, sometimes you just go or go for a nap or whatever. And it's something I've, I've learned from other people more than anything, if you go for a nap, if you're tired, don't if you just go for a nap, just because there's nothing else to do. I mean, a that can mess up your sleeping schedule. But also, you know, you're not likely to feel any better. If anything, you're probably going to be feeling worse if you just go to bed just because

Louis:

rather than actually needing to go. Yeah, and that was gonna be a very dangerous thing. I know, when I was here, because I was in my house alone for I think, two weeks when I got here. And naps became a very dangerous thing that I just, I just take, because there was nothing to do because my course hadn't started yet. Nobody was living with me. So it was just Yes, they should if there's nothing else to get out for you like, Well, yeah, they can really, they can really mess up your sleeping schedule. You just, that's what I found. Like, it took me a while to sort of get back to the normal one that I've got now. And having that having the course definitely helps. But yeah, naps are definitely dangerous game to play.

Sam:

Yeah, just just focus on what what you want to do, obviously in a get get get work done and, and whatever. But and I know it's been said, you know, million times before, but it's that it's that work life balance, even if even if the the life aspect of that might might seem a bit constrained at the moment. You just kind of got a got to keep doing something that's not work related that a little bit of time to yourself. And that can do wonders, really.

Louis:

You're just going to squeeze that, that juice of life out of it,or the juice of life. Sounds a bit weird. I mean, honestly, if that's if that's what helps I know, you know, some people wake up and they have to have a shower. That's what wakes them up. If you need a glass of juice that will do it, too. Yeah,

Sam:

yeah, it's, it's, I think, even even just little bits like that. It's it's it's adding in an element of routine, which, which for a lot of people, you know, will definitely help.

Louis:

Yeah, just add anything that's like, in the routine, anything that makes you happy. Just Yeah, getting up having a glass of juice, having a shower. It's just good for your health. And it's good for you like it's self care, really, isn't it?

Sam:

Yeah, it's it's, I think, a lot of the time, students obviously. And just generally people don't really take the time to do almost the basic self care. You type in needs. Just getting out just taking a bit of time for yourself. It's because everybody's so busy. Generally, I mean, not not so much now, but people have still got work and whatever. It's all about you and making sure that that you aren't neglecting yourself, and you're not just overwhelmed by the things that sometimes needs to be done like work or whatever, but don't ultimately help you particularly.

Louis:

Yeah, I think trying to find that balance because obviously get your work done because it provides a good sense of schedule and everything like that. But to have that room to experiment with what you do. Try new things. Cuz I mean, it's a great time for it, try and find he little things that make ou happy. I guess I know that t at is kind of what I've been do ng where if I wake up on a ay where I'm feeling like, h, this, I don't know, not ot feeling great today, I'll do like a little bit of work. nd then I'll just figure out li e, well, what am I going to do today? That might make me hap y? Like, I'll just think about t. Maybe you know, I'd play gui ar for a bit or play some gam s. You know, it's just a case of put your happiness fir t, really, and just see what ou can find that can help

Sam:

Yeah, and I definitely

Louis:

agree. Thanks, Sam, for coming on and talking about all of this. No,

Sam:

thank you for having me.

Louis:

Yeah, it's been you know, good to share some advice that we've learned from being locked down all this time. And hopefully, you know, people listening you can maybe take something from it and help yourself.

Sam:

Yeah, every experience you you kind of have there's always something you can take away from that anything. Especially from the first lockdown it just remember those things that made you happy and got you through that and do them again. Real y? Yeah,

Louis:

great. I mean, that's the takeaway lesson. Just do what makes you happy do or make you happy in the first lockdown. Just keep doing that. As long as it works.

Sam:

Yeah. And even after lockdown just you just got to keep there.

Louis:

This has been the changi g MENtality podcast. You can ind us on Facebook and nstagram at changing mentality odcast and on Twitter at hanging men m e n pod. If ou've been affected by any of he issues that we've spoken bout in this podcast, and would ike some support, resources or dvice, go to studentspace.o g.uk Thank you for listening.