Whether you’re able to work from home or not, any form of self-isolation during the current coronavirus pandemic can be overwhelming. The Jammers have been social distancing and working from home since mid-March and have truly learned the importance of prioritising your mental health and staying mindful.
As we all settle into finding new normals, here’s a list of hand-picked resources to help you and your family find comfort amongst all the chaos.
Mental health and wellbeing
Taking care of your mental health and wellbeing is something we proudly advocate in our office. Maintaining your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Here are some tools that can help support you through the current situation, including techniques you can practice to help manage stress.
Samaritans – 116 123
Whatever you’re going through, Samaritans offer 24/7 confidential support. You can find their coronavirus related support here.
Male Survivors Partnership – 0808 800 5005
Being isolated can trigger an array of emotions. The Male Survivors Partnership has a directory of national charities and support services available to help male victims ad survivors of sexual assault and rape.
Survivors Manchester
Being in contact with other survivors can allow you to feel less isolated. Survivors Manchester is a survivor-led/survivor-run voluntary organisation aiming to create and facilitate a safe space for male survivors of sexual abuse and rape.
Manchester Rape Crisis – 0161 273 4500
Self-isolation never means you’re alone. MRC is a feminist organisation striving to make a positive difference by offering support to any woman who has experienced sexual violence.
Fitness
Our office has a few resident gym junkies so we know first-hand how difficult this lockdown can be without the sweet familiar feeling of a barbell across your shoulders on leg-day.
The Body Coach TV
Offers hundreds of free home workout videos (most with no equipment). Plus, he’s also doing live morning PE classes for school kids at 9am on weekdays and adding more home workouts for the elderly so everyone can get their daily exercise in.
Sarahs_Day
Whether you’re looking for mummy vlogs, healthy paleo-based recipes or the sweatiest fifteen minutes of your life, this lady has you covered. You can find her free HIIT bodyweight workouts on her YouTube channel or IGTV.
Lululemon
The Canadian fitness wear company is extending their kindness to the rest of us by creating yoga, HIIT and meditation classes via IGTV. Make sure to keep an eye on their Instagram stories to see when they’re doing live workouts next.
Alice Liveing
You may know her as ‘Clean Eating Alice’, author of The Body Bible, personal trainer and Instagram star. This British beauty regularly posts easy-to-follow and fun workouts to her Instagram page (@aliceliveing), many of which you can do in the comfort of your own home. You’ll also find healthy and wholesome recipes on her Insta and she even has her own podcast which features inspirational guests discussing the importance of building mental and physical resilience.
Sport
What better expression of emotion is there than sports? If you’re looking for a sense of belonging without a match to watch, we’ve got you sorted.
Fighting talk podcast
A hilarious look at the volatile world of sport where guests compete for points with their sporting punditry. Informed comments are rewarded but witless outbursts are penalised.
Mundial
A football magazine that’s doing “Mundial Night Football” – live-tweeting a classic game every Monday, to give you your football fix.
Arts and culture
If you find comfort in the arts and enjoy being creative, there are more options available than you think, but these are our favourites.
Creative Boom
A podcast from the magazine for the creative industries, offering inspiration, tips and ideas to help you succeed. Full of fun and honest conversations with creative people to keep you in the loop.
The Guggenheim
Have you ever been to New York? If the answer is no, well now you can with this virtual tour of their iconic Guggenheim museum.
Graffiti tours
If you’d prefer to visit somewhere outdoors, Google has created a collection of street art you can enjoy virtually with an audio guide.
Children
With little ones running around, finding ways to keep them entertained can get difficult quickly.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a mobile and web-based study application that allows students to swot up on a range of subjects via learning tools and games.
Wicked Maths
GCSEs being cancelled this year just means there’s more time to study for next time! By using Wicked Maths, you’re giving your child access to professionally written GCSE Maths Exam Practice Questions. The platform comes with Video Solutions to every question on your smartphone, tablet or laptop.
San Diego Zoo
Head to the San Diego zoo where they’re offering live webcam footage of fan favourites like the penguins and polar bears.
Food
It should be said that the Jammers don’t condone panic buying under any circumstances. We do however enjoy indulging in a home-cooked meal, especially as we can’t enjoy our favourite restaurant in this current situation.
A Girl called Jack
If you’re looking to make budget meals while indoors, Jack Monroe has an array of recipes both vegan and non-vegan to keep your bellies full.
Bon Appétit
If you’re using your extra free time to perfect your culinary craft, the Bon Appetit test kitchen on YouTube is for you. For those that just like to drool over impressive meals, the Gourmet Makes series recreates confectionery favourites like Krispy Kremes.
Binging with Babish
This cooking show recreates iconic food from TV and Movies like Bubba’s Shrimp from Forrest Gump or the Krabby Patty from Spongebob. Plus, this experienced home cook also has a “basics” series for top cooking tips so you can impress your isolation partners.
Entertainment
Let’s face it, the internet is a beautiful thing. With everyone doing their part to stay indoors, it’s reminded us of all the ways you can socialise and keep yourself entertained while still being responsible.
Netflix Party
Netflix Party is a Chrome extension for watching Netflix remotely with friends, e.g., for movie nights with that long-distance special someone. It synchronizes video playback and adds group chat.
Duolingo
Prepare for your next holiday by learning a new language! Duolingo offers 30+ languages online with bite-size lessons based on science. It’s quick, effective and enjoyable
Bongo’s Bingo – Live from the Bungalow
The popular club night that’s swept the UK by storm has launched the game online in an attempt to cheer people up while stuck indoors. It’s completely free to take part, all players need is a UK phone number, a pen and paper.
How to give back
Trussell Trust
The Trussell Trust is an NGO and charity that works to end the necessity for food banks within the UK. They support a network of over 1,200 food bank centres providing emergency food to those in need. If you are in a position to do so, you can find your local food bank to make donations here, or you can make monetary donations online.
Government information
It’s easy to get lost in online chatter and overwhelmed by the news. To avoid that, here are quick links to government resources to get the latest updates and information on COVID-19.
We may be living in uncertain times, but you’re not alone. Reach out to someone to talk if you’re struggling in isolation.
