What strange, challenging days we are living through, and, on behalf of The Boundary family, our hearts go out to all who have been affected by the coronavirus crisis. We are blessed with such a wonderful community here in West Auckland, so please remember, ‘he waka eke noa’—we are all in this together—don’t be alone during these troubling times.
Community spirit is now more important than ever, even if it is from a distance. Keep in touch with friends and family—who would have thought that social media and messaging platforms could have taken on even greater significance in our day-to-day lives? Don’t forget to check on elderly neighbours too, especially ones living alone.
The Ministry of Health website has heaps of information regarding how to take care of your mental health during the lockdown period, as well as links and phone numbers for professional services.
It’s vital to keep fit, too, of course. What better time to learn yoga and meditation? There are countless free apps and online tutorials for yogis of all levels, while Les Mills have also partnered with TVNZ OnDemand to run free daily sessions including stretching and meditation, as well as classes like HIIT to raise the heart rate. There are also classes aimed specifically at youngsters.
For those living with whānau, why not get creative and create a boot camp exercise routine to do in the house and around the garden? Daily walks are a must, both for exercise and for a vitamin D boost—but remember to stay local! And there are few better places to ‘stay local’ than out west—how lucky we are to have the likes of the Waitakeres and those spectacular beaches on our doorstep, especially during this period.
Eating healthy is vital during the lockdown, both for mental and physical health. Why not use the time to learn some new recipes and also teach the kids how to cook? Henderson’s Countdown is open daily from 8am-9pm throughout the lockdown, but remember, those in poor health, or over-70s are advised to order their groceries online.
If you are feeling under the weather, Chemist Warehouse is classed as an essential service, and so will remain open during this period as well. With so many unfortunately struggling financially at present, Chemist Warehouse is offering big discounts on the likes of medicines, supplements,vitamins and baby care products. It’s also more important than ever to have a flu shot. Though this won’t protect from Covid-19, it will reduce patient numbers at clinics, surgeries and hospitals, freeing up more doctors and nurses to attend to those affected by coronavirus. Chemist Warehouse can help out here, too. Keep up to date with their deals and hours here.
We know how hard it can be to see the positives during such tough times, but try to see the lockdown as an opportunity to catch up on those to-dos, catch up with friends and family (digitally, if you don’t live with them!), to reconnect and nurture relationships with your loved ones.
Likely we’ll be emerging to a different way of life when the lockdown’s done and dusted. Let’s make sure it’s the best one that it can be.
