The team at FirstPort provide some advice for looking after yourself mentally and physically during the Coronavirus pandemic.
A few months ago we would never have imagined we would be spending so much time in our homes.
Whether it’s adapting to working from home with the kids, keeping in touch with family and friends remotely or finding new ways to stay physically and mentally active, we are all having to change the way we live.
As a property manager responsible for looking after 196,000 homes, we recognise how challenging this time is for our residents. While our focus will always be on making sure our customers have a comfortable, clean and safe place to live – which is now more important than ever – we’ve also been looking at other ways we can support our residents’ wellbeing during these challenging times.
Weekly Entertainment Packs For Retirement Residents
For many of our retirement residents who live alone this is a particularly lonely and difficult time. Many of our residents fall into the most vulnerable category and are having to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures. Each week, our Development Managers are putting the latest release of our entertainment packs, containing puzzles, crosswords, adult colouring and recipes, under any of their residents’ doors who may find them useful. We’ve also shared colouring sheets for our younger residents.
We’ve had some wonderful feedback from our residents and Development Managers on these resources, and we know some residents really look forward to receiving them as a welcome distraction from all that is going on.
Mini Workouts With Rosemary Conley CBE
It’s harder to get out of the house to exercise at the moment, but there are plenty of ways that residents can keep fit in the comfort of their own homes.
Working with diet and fitness expert Rosemary Conley CBE, Editor-in-Chief of FirstPort’s Life & Style magazine for our retirement residents, we’ve launched a series of filmed mini-workouts on our blog.
Whether you’re in your 20s or 80s, these mini workouts are suitable for all ages and are mostly designed to be completed sat down. This means they’re not only great for people who are less mobile, but also those who are working from home and want to make sure they can keep moving in between a schedule of online meetings. They’re also suitable for key workers who spend a lot of time on their feet and want to work their muscles once they get home from a long shift.
Quick and Simple Meals to Cook at Home
The second part of the health equation – diet – is just as important as exercise. We’re sharing on our blog quick and simple recipes using everyday ingredients so they’re easy to cook at home. These have been created by leading nutritionist Sarah Skelton, and specially selected for FirstPort by Rosemary Conley CBE.
Hints and Tips
Staying mentally fit is just as crucial to our wellbeing as physical activity, so our blog also features guidance from our colleagues about what is helping them cope during these testing times. Our Talent team have shared their top tips on working from home with kids and we’ve also launched a series of posts from our Property Managers discussing how they manage stress.
Over the coming weeks we will be sharing more of these useful resources on our residents’ blog. In the meantime, we hope you and your families are all keeping safe and well.
