As the Love Island final airs tonight, we thought we'd do a post about it. Whether you watch it or not, Love Island is always the hottest summer programme of the year. The premise of the show is to remain in the villa, as the winning couple will have the chance to bag the £50,000 prize money which they can choose to keep or split with each other. The show runs for around 8 weeks straight. Contestants can also be voted out by the public who have the power to play Cupid by voting for a current Islander to go on a first date with a new contestant.
Way to mess with your mental health guys!?
But why could being a contestant on Love Island have a negative effect on your mental health?
Here are 3 top tips we think the Islanders should do as soon as they get back home to help their mental health and to stay grounded... (and who knows, you might even find some of these tips are helpful for your mental health too 😉)
1️⃣ Get back into a routine as soon as possible
When you've been away for a long period of time, it can be hard to get back into your normal routine. During the time you were away, you may have begun to adapt to unhealthy sleeping and eating habits, and spent less time doing what forms part of your normal routine, such as going to the gym or engaging with your usual hobbies.
Getting back into a routine helps to bring a sense of normality and will help you to adjust being back quicker. Start off slow by making sure you go to bed at your usual time and eat well during the day. If you re-introduce your hobbies at a later date, you'll avoid feeling overwhelmed. Extensive science has shown that this, along with fitness and meditation are the most important protective measurements to have in place to avoid depression.
2️⃣ Spend time with family and close friends
A supportive family and friends are the building blocks to overcoming anything! How many times have you had a conversation with your mum, dad, brother, sister or best friend and come away feeling more positive? Sometimes, all we want to do is shut our family and friends out because we might think they'll judge us or misunderstand what we're trying to say.
If you're feeling that way, remember this: there is nothing you can't say to someone who loves you. So give your best mate a call, or sit down with your mum/dad and catch up with them over a cup of tea.
3️⃣ Take it easy!
Whatever you do, don't throw yourself into something to take your mind off something else. It's so easy to cover up how you really feel by diving head first into work or solving other people's problems or to just pretend that everything is fine altogether!
Feeling sad after something totally awesome has happened to you is a completely normal way to feel. Express this feeling by writing about it, talking about it or even drawing about it. But in order to feel sad and then capture these happy memories, you need to give yourself some space to do that. It's important to build time into your routine to just sit and reflect on your most recent experiences and how you may have changed because of them.
We would like to wish all the Love Island finalists the best of luck tonight 🏆 and to remember that nothing is worth loosing your mental health over!