With things finally starting to look up here’s how to keep your mood lifted during these next few weeks of lockdown life

While we may now officially be a year into the pandemic and lockdown life, things are finally starting to look up. The vaccine programme is running and many of our older relatives and friends have now started getting inoculated, days are longer and brighter, and politicians are beginning to make positive noises about a summer with some normality included.

But how do you manage your mood when, even though all this is happening, you’re still stuck inside or without your friends and family?

We are hopefully on the final stretch of what has been for many of us, one of the most difficult years in living history. All we need to do now is keep going for another few weeks when the world will slowly begin to get back to how we know it and love it.

1. Remember that positivity can sometimes be a choice. It sounds strange but you can protect your mood and your optimism. Sometimes the things we consume can trigger feelings of anger, sadness or frustration. If you can identify those and eliminate them from your day, it may help you to feel a little lighter and more positive. That may mean limiting the amount of news you watch or curating your social media feeds to remove the accounts that make you feel bad.

2. Get outside. It’s a fact that getting out into the fresh air and daylight is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Exposing yourself to daylight will greatly help your circadian rhythms which in turn will help you sleep better. A lack of sleep is one of the first things that will affect your mood.

3. Being outdoors will also mean that you get some of that glorious Vitamin D that we all so desperately need. We’re quite far from the equator and it’s not that sunny yet so you might need to top it up with a supplement. Each Cleanmarine For Women (now known as Cleanmarine PeriodPlan) capsule is packed with Omega-3 with Phospholipids, Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and D3, as well as Rosemary Extract and Soy Isoflavones. 2 capsules daily provides 200% of the reference intake for Vitamin D. Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity while it also contributes to normal psychological function.

4. Keep talking. Restrictions throughout the year, along with many people cocooning, mean that it has been hard to maintain relationships in person over the last year, but it’s important to keep in touch with people. FaceTime and video calls can help to feel that little bit closer to loved ones, if you can’t meet with them outdoors. If all you feel able for is a text, that’s fine, but make sure to keep chatting to your friends and family. We’re all social beings by nature – some more so than others – but a little chat can be a great way to help lift your mood.

It’s normal to have ups and downs, while life as we know it has been turned on its head. Remember, bad days are temporary, and won’t last forever – just like the current situation we’re in.