The current situation regarding Covid-19 is, at best, a bit worrying and inconvenient. For some of us, though, it will feel like a crisis and we will feel like our mental health is slipping away from us. Anxiety around a situation that the whole world seems to be panicking about can quickly become overwhelming. If you feel that your anxiety is out of control because of Covid-19, read on for some tips on how to take care of yourself. But even if you’re not feeling overwhelmed, new and strange situations can make us feel a bit unsure what to do, and uncertainty can knock our resilience. So treat these tips as a bit of mental health insurance, if you like.
Stop for a moment. This is my top tip. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious or just a bit confused, allow yourself to put down the phone/TV remote/newspaper or turn away from the computer and take a deep breath. In this moment, nothing is wrong. All you need to do to get through it is take one breath. Make it a deep one!
Limit your information sources. Always remember that the media are not primarily attempting to give you information or make you feel in control of the situation. Even supposedly high quality media outlets need to sell papers/get you to click on their links. They can’t do that by writing soothing headlines about the facts and the practical things you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones. They can only do that by instilling a panic in you about the virus that makes you suspect that if you don’t read their article you will be in danger. So don’t be afraid to silence your connections with the media. Take the news apps off your phone or turn off the notifications. Turn off certain hashtags on your social media feeds and mute contacts who are posting things that make you feel worse. You will get all the information you need if you check the NHS and Public Health England websites. Their jobs are primarily to keep people safe and informed - they are not putting any kind of unhelpful spin on things. The facts you need and the practical advice you’ll find helpful can all be gleaned from those two websites alone.
Reframe it. There is no denying that this is a strange and difficult problem that the world is facing. But, if you are stuck in self isolation, or your daily activities are limited by your worries about the virus, you can reframe it as an opportunity to do all those things you always meant to do if you only had a bit more time at home. We were confined to our apartment in Hong Kong a great deal, on our recent travels there, and it was actually nice to play board games with the family and watch films and read books. Maybe you have been meaning to tackle the spare room, or sort out your music collection. Or perhaps now’s the time to catch up on your correspondence or organise all your photos into online albums to share. If you can set yourself a few tasks from which you know you will get satisfaction, being “stuck” at home won’t feel so frustrating.
Get some fresh air and exercise. If you are self isolating, this can be tricky, but even if you can just access your garden for a little while, some fresh air and sunlight can really have an impact on your spirits. You may find that your usual sports activities have been cancelled or postponed, so look for activities to replace them, to ensure that you are still getting the benefits of some exercise. You might be able to go for runs or walks, or take the dog out (or the dog of an elderly neighbour). We know how helpful exercise is for our mental health, so even if you’re truly confined to indoors, head over to a site like Yoga with Adriene and take advantage of some free yoga sessions - no money (or, for quite a few of her sessions, mat) required.
Stay connected. Now’s the time to check you have contact details for all your nearest and dearest, so that you can keep in touch from afar if they or you can’t meet up. Don’t forget that you can video call as easily as you can message or email, and that sometimes seeing a face and hearing a voice is very comforting. It’s important to share your worries if you are feeling anxious - and if you can’t do this in person, then being in touch in other ways will be an asset. If you feel that you need to contact a professional and access some counselling to help you through this tricky time, many of us counsellors can offer online sessions. I find that this can work very well indeed. Do get in touch if you think this might be of interest to you. You can also check listings on the BACP website, where you can search for therapists who offer online sessions.
Remember, it’s temporary. It can seem like there is no way back from a crisis, when you’re in the midst of it. This crisis will come to an end. We are all living with the uncertainty of how long it will last and how it will affect us, but keep in mind that it is temporary. One day, we will all be talking about this from the safe vantage point of having got through it together.
