We realise there is already a vast amount of advice circulating on social media and so we aim to inform you of relevant research and theory so you can make the best decisions on how to engage with this and manage your own wellbeing.
The theoretical framework we have used to give shape to this site is Social Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 2001); a psychological theory which emphasises the importance of autonomy, relatedness and competence for our motivation and wellbeing.
The key feature we want to highlight is autonomy; we want you to feel empowered to select or adapt activities or materials in a way which best suits you. We think this will be a useful approach because the uncertainty of our situation may leave many of us feeling like we do not have control over our lives. We will review research and theory for different age groups and make suggestions on how and so by providing you with this information you can take back some control.
1. Activities for happiness
This section looks at positive psychology interventions that can help us to foster happiness and be more resilient to depression and anxiety. We consider activities impact on children adults of different ages.
2. Coping with social restrictions
This section looks at social psychology and applies what we know about social exclusion and ostracism effects to the social restrictions of lockdown. We consider how ostracism recovery research can help guide us in coping with these restrictions. We consider research on adults and children.
3. Exercise for wellbeing
This section looks at sport and exercise psychology and aims to help you to approach exercise in a way that will maximise the wellbeing benefits for you. We will look at goal setting and motivation as well as self-compassion and body image. We consider activities impact on children adults of different ages.
4. Managing mental health whilst studying
This section was produced for a larger, ongoing project on mental health whilst studying at university. It applies positive psychology to using strengths, values and meaning to set goals and progress in a way that allows us to thrive. It has been adapted for the current crisis and whilst it was designed for students it is also applicable for various types of work where we need to motivate ourselves and stay positive, which could be a challenge for some people working remotely.
Our research
There is very little research yet published to tell us what will work best for different people in such unprecedented conditions. For that reason, we want to collect data on how this guide and the activities it suggests works for you during the lockdown. We would very much appreciate your participation in this research.
Please come back and complete the survey linked below after you have tried one or more of these activities for a week or so.
The survey is entirely anonymous but if you would like to sign up for an email reminding you to come back to do the survey please enter your email here. We will not use this email for any other purpose and will delete it after we have sent your reminder.