My name is Evan Burgess and I'm the Welsh Youth Parliament member for Aberconwy. I hope that this blog finds you, your family and friends happy and in good health. I am, like you, staying at home to save lives and protect the NHS, which is so important at this time, and I hope that you are coping well with staying home.
But in case you aren’t, in this blog I want to share some tips on what I’ve found useful to stay healthy at this extraordinary time. This is a very scary time for many and many of us will be very worried, and may be feeling very unhappy because we can't see our friends, have lost a family member or friend, or worried about the circumstances in which we live.
But it is very important to keep healthy at this time, for the sake of our well-being and physical health in case we become ill. These are some of the things I’ve done that have helped me.
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I’ve found it useful to try and stay positive. It is very difficult to keep your spirits up during this time but perhaps one of the best ways I’ve found helps is to do something positive that you are proud of. What better than something that helps the environment? Obviously you can’t leave the house and do something outside, but now that we are spending even more time in the house, this is the perfect time to sort out your household recycling. I’ve loved sorting the paper from plastics and glass from the cans. Perhaps you want a new recycling system, to make it easier to recycle? This is the ideal time to prepare bags or boxes for plastic, cardboard, cans, etc. Maybe you only do kitchen recycling? I loved sorting out our bathroom or bedroom recycling, as it often goes forgotten by everyone. Why don’t you give it a go too rather than throwing everything in the bin? You may be unsure about what and how to recycle. Why not find out more online? There will be plenty of information on your county council’s website.
Better yet, while you're bored at home, why not reuse your waste and turn it into something creative or useful? You could cut up breakfast cereal boxes to make paper for lists, or reuse metal and cardboard packets to hold other things. I found that doing positive things has kept me busy and it will give you something to aim for, and the good influence that you have on the planet will give you a boost. And remember, you can also fill in the Welsh Youth Parliament questionnaire on recycling to help us have an influence on the planet! Go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/WYPWaste
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I’ve also found it useful to stay organised. One way to stay healthy and happy is to keep your day organised. I’ve found that keeping my day organised has really helped me. I’ve tried to keep to a regular sleep routine, which has kept me happy and healthy during this time. Also try to keep busy during the day. It’s been fun to get up and do something active every day. I’d suggest if you have school work, start at a consistent time and keep the duration of your ‘lessons' consistent too. It’s been a winning formula for me. As well as keeping busy and organised, remember to allow plenty of time to relax. Everyone is a little bit more stressed, and relaxing in any way that works for you is important. My favourite way to relax is to read as it gets my mind thinking about something else.
There we are, some tips on how to stay healthy and happy during this time. I hope you find these helpful and that they help you, I also hope you stay healthy in the coming months. Remember, if you are rearranging your recycling or making something out of waste, send it via e-mail to hello@welshyouthparliament.wales, or tag us in your social media post using the hashtag #reducereuserecycle.
Stay safe, thanks for reading. Evan.
