COVID19: Health & Wellbeing

Coronavirus (Covid-19) poses a major threat to the health and wellbeing of people across the globe. Therefore, it’s vitally important that we do all we can – as individuals, communities and a nation – to reduce the risk it presents to our own physical health and emotional wellbeing, and to others who are most at risk – namely older people and those with underlying health conditions.

Given the important role we, as a Council, play in promoting your overall health and wellbeing, we will support you over the coming months to remain physically active, mentally strong and emotionally resilient during this uncertain and challenging period.

A key piece of Government advice that we urge you all to follow is to practice social distancing in the interest of protecting the most vulnerable people in society. This is critical to preventing the spread of the virus.

Everyone has a role to play in combating the spread of Covid-19. Get the latest advice and guidance about preventing the spread of infection, the vaccination programme, what to do if you think you have coronavirus, travel advice, advice for older people, those with underlying health conditions as well as advice for specific groups. Keep up to date as the Covid-19 situation in Northern Ireland evolves. For more Advice & guidance from the Public Health Agency click here

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on the nation’s mental health. Lockdown restrictions, bereavement, isolation, loss of income, home-schooling and fear are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones. Now, more than ever, it’s important to take positive actions to look after your mental health and reach out for support if you are struggling to cope. For More Mental health support & advice click here

Taking care of your health and wellbeing is essential during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you need to talk to someone with expertise in a particular area, there’s a wide range of charities and organisations offering all kinds of support for a host of issues such as addiction, debt, suicide and self-harm, depression, family relationships and much more. For more Directory of support services & crisis helplines click here

We all need to look after our holistic health at this present time as our physical and mental health are strongly interconnected. Apart from eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise and pursuing activities that promote a sense of wellness within are essential to helping you stay physically fit and mentally strong during the Covid-19 pandemic. Take your pick from our library of exercise and relaxation videos. For more Exercise & relaxation videos click here

All children are born with a natural drive to play. During lockdown, it’s important to incorporate play into your child’s daily routine because it’s fundamental to their healthy growth, development and wellbeing. This section explains the importance of play and highlights a host of activities that will keep your child learning, happy and healthy while at home. For more information on make playtime a priority click here

Now more than ever during this pandemic, we should all be doing what we can to lead a healthy lifestyle. So let’s make a big effort to introduce small changes that will have a positive impact on our health and wellbeing. In this section, we share a range of healthy lifestyle messages provided or supported by the the Public Health Agency. Whilst it’s beneficial to learn about these messages, it’s even better to put them into practice. For more Healthy lifestyle messages click here

Staying at home during the Covid-19 pandemic has the potential to be a recipe for disaster for our waistlines, with people likely to adopt unhealthy eating habits and consume more calories than their body needs. Eating a healthy balanced diet and getting the nutrients you need is central to keeping your body in tip top condition and boosting your immune system. It’s time to kick-start your healthy eating at home plan. For more information on healthy eating at home click here

Make sure you are well informed about Covid-19 and food. Although it is very unlikely that you can catch the virus from food, it is important to follow expert advice on food hygiene when shopping, social distancing when shopping, food hygiene at home, food storage and reuse and ordering takeaway food. Please remember to wash your hands thoroughly (for at least 20 seconds) before handling and eating food. For more Advice & guidance from the Food Standards Agency click here

Most accidents happen in the home. Now that we’re spending a lot more time at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to take extra care to prevent accidents and avoid serious injury that may require a visit to A&E. ‘Accident Free, Avoid A&E’ is a campaign led by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) aimed at keeping people accident and injury free and out of hospital. For more information on preventing accidents click here

Access a library of high quality apps to support your health and wellbeing during Covid-19. Having been assessed by Health and Social Care in NI in partnership with ORCHA (Organisation for Review of Care and Health Apps) as being the best and safest available, these apps will help manage stress and improve wellbeing, sleep management, staying fit and nutrition. This online resource is a great enhancement to existing eHealth services across NI. For more information on Healthcare NI apps click here