Anxiety during lockdown

Coronavirus (Covid-19) is confusing for everyone- people are being told to stay at home as much as possible, and for many this can mean disruption of routine, whether that’s with school, work or simply going out and seeing people. These feelings of disruption and worry can be heightened for someone with anxiety. In this blog I’m going to share how I’ve been managing and hopefully you might find it useful too.

The biggest worry for many during this time is how to cope with social distancing and isolation. I’ve found that it’s important to remember that even now you are not alone and you can reach out to family and friends online at any time. For me, this means phoning a friend whenever I need to and using social media to stay in contact with people I’m close to.

In a period of isolation it can be helpful to keep a routine balancing work with things you enjoy, such as music or art. This can ease worry surrounding loss of a work or school routine and allows some normality into a fairly unusual time. I’m currently in year 12 at school and my daily routine now consists of school-work, listening to music and walking my dog*. This keeps me motivated and helps me manage anxiety around catching up on school-work.

Many people are worried about their own physical health during this outbreak. This is a completely normal response to a global pandemic, but too much worry can be detrimental for your mental health. I’ve been following the advice given by the NHS with hygiene and social distancing while trying to avoid becoming consumed by current media covering the virus. Though your physical health is important, your mental health is equally so. I’ve learnt that self-care and doing things I enjoy can help me stop obsessing over my physical health and what’s happening with COVID-19.

So remember, you are not alone and your mental health is important during the COVID-19 outbreak. You’ve got this!

Take care of your mental wellbeing during the Covid-19 outbreak.

*Please remember to follow NHS guidelines about social distancing if you’re going on walks.