Anxiety During The Lockdown

Hello everyone, a slightly different post on the blog today. Some of you may know that I have anxiety, I was diagnosed 3 years ago, but I’ve had it for much longer. As a result, this current lockdown is playing absolute havoc with my mental health. I thought it might be interesting to share some of the things I have learnt/developed to help me cope during this stressful time.

Content warning for anxiety, mental health and lockdown chat.

Obviously I am not a professional, these are just my tips, there are plenty of sources at the end of this post from actual professionals you can check out too!

Let’s go!

Accept The Anxiety

This is the biggest and most important tip I can offer. We are living in an unprecedented and unknown time, we don’t know what is happening day to day, and there is a lot of information swirling around. This is going to make you anxious, and that’s ok. It’s ok to feel low, stressed, anxious, upset, whatever. There is nothing wrong with feeling that way, and you are definitely not alone.

I have made a list at the end of this post of Charities and phone lines that are very helpful if you want to chat to a qualified person about your worries.

Share It

This may seem counterintuitive, but if you are feeling overwhelmed by everything let someone know. This could be a friend, a family member, your partner, someone you live with. Don’t be worried about being a burden to them, or worry about passing your problems onto them, there is a high possibility they will share some of your worries, and will be able to sympathise. It also helps to keep loved ones in the loop about your mental health and can allow you to explain why you are feeling or acting a certain way.

Accept The Low Days

It is perfectly reasonable to expect to have low days during this lockdown. Our daily lives have been massively disrupted, and everyone is stressed and on edge. If you feel low or down one day don’t force yourself to feel better. You are allowed to feel the way you feel. Listen to your brain. Why do you feel that way? Are you over tired? Have you been consuming too much news (this is a big one for me, the news makes me super stressed). Take a break, listen to your body, but don’t feel guilty for feeling the way you do. If you can, let your loved ones know you are having a tough day, and suggest doing something you love, maybe watching a movie or playing a computer game (Animal Crossing is a life saver for me right now!).

Have a Routine

Since I am no longer driving into work everyday, I no longer have a reason to get up at a reasonable time in the morning. However, without this routine my anxiety and general mental health really struggles. So another tip of mine would be to make a routine. It doesn’t have to be a super regimented strict routine, just some general guidelines. Mine goes a little like this; 8:30am wake up, 8:30am-9:30am read book in bed, 9:30am get up shower etc, 10:30am coffee with my mum, 12:00-2:00pm walk. And that’s it. All these times are flexible and just rough guides, but I’ve noticed a huge difference to my mental health and my energy levels just by implementing a wee routine.

Outdoor Time

Leading nicely on from the routine is using your one allocated period of outdoor time. If you are able to, definitely try to get some time outdoors. I try to go for a long walk everyday, it helps me to clear my mind and definitely stops my mind from spiralling quite as far as usual. It gives a great sense of perspective, and makes me feel hopeful for the future. I am lucky that I stay in a small-ish village so the countryside is right on my doorstep, but even if you stay in the middle of the city, try and find some green space nearby, and make a habit of visiting it everyday if you can.

Sleep

It is understandable that everyone’s sleep is negatively affected by the current situation. For me, I am struggling to quieten my thoughts enough to fall asleep, and I am wakening up often. I have started to use the Headspace app when I am falling asleep, they have a number of Sleepcasts which I find quite helpful in calming myself down and getting relaxed. Reading my book before bed is another obvious tip. It’s a good idea to spend time away from social media, this certainly keeps my anxiety at bay, and I find that reading is a perfect solution.

Useful Websites on Anxiety:

Anxiety UK

NHS Page on Generalised Anxiety

Mind

No Panic

Samaritans

Anxiety Reducing Apps

Calm

Headspace

NHS Stress & Anxiety Companion

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