Managing Anxiety Throughout the Lockdown

We are now into our 6th week of 'self-isolation' due to COVID-19. In the previous blog, I gave some tips on how to maintain optimal mental health during this period. Today, I will focus specifically on anxiety.

What is Anxiety?

The NHS definition of anxiety is "a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe."

We would have all felt some form of anxiety at stages in our lives with examples such as exam stress or university/job interviews. During these times, feeling anxious is quite normal and is our body's natural response to stressful situations.

Anxiety also features as one of the main symptoms for several conditions, including phobias and PTSD.

Symptoms of Anxiety

There are a number of symptoms associated with anxiety. Imagine you are exposed to your phobia. How would you feel?
For example - I have a fear of spiders. I am relaxing at home, and I see that there's a spider in my bedroom. What would my body's natural reaction be? I'm sure some of you may have been in this situation before.

Here are some of the things that may occur:

• increased heart rate
• rapid breathing
• restlessness
• trouble concentrating
• difficulty falling asleep

Anxiety and COVID-19

It is not uncommon for people to experience the above symptoms due to their thoughts. The main cause being stress, but we tend to call the causes 'triggers'. People have different 'triggers' that set off their anxiety. One of the main causes is negative thinking about past/present events, which if left untreated by the individual, can spiral out of control. This is why it is important to gain control of your mind by doing simple tasks (you can see those in the last section).

With all of us being forced to stay at home during the pandemic, it could lead to some symptoms of anxiety. The feeling of the unknown. Maybe watching too much media coverage about the situation and wondering when we will be allowed to visit our friends and family. Eventually, all of these things could lead to increased negative thoughts and anxiety.
However, we must begin to understand that these measures of self-isolation and social distancing are temporary. There will be a time when we can have our lives back. There will be a time when we can hang out with our friends. There will be a time when we can embrace our family members. There will be a time when we can go back to normality. That time is not now. Our actions of social distancing will help protect our loved ones who could be at a higher risk of dying.

I think this quote below from Jenni Young sums up our current situation:

Managing Anxiety During Self-Isolation

So, what can you do to manage your anxiety levels during this self-isolation period?
- Change your way of thinking. Stop telling yourself "Damn, I hate being stuck inside". Instead of this, focus on telling yourself "I finally have time to focus on myself".
- Stop obsessing over the media hype regarding COVID-19. Boring news does not sell newspapers - sensationalism does.
- Follow my tips from the previous blog post (maintaining optimal mental health).
- Find a new activity to focus your mind. It could be something as simple as cleaning the home or reading a book.

- If you start feeling that you are losing control of your anxiety - TAKE CONTROL! How? Stop what you are doing and control your breathing. Breathe in (count to 3) & breathe out (count to 3).
- Be kind to yourself. You are not weak!

Finally, my most important tip is to talk to someone. Realize that there is no need to suffer in silence. A problem shared is a problem halved. That person could be a family member, friend or teacher. Never underestimate the power of talking and sharing your problems with a trusted person.

"It will not last forever and better days are on the way."

Looking After Your Mental Health During COVID-19 Isolation

Here we are, in unprecedented times, being forced to stay at home due to a pandemic. It's essential to look after your mental health during these times, especially if like me, you are living alone.

Below are my top tips for maintaining optimal mental health during these times.

1. PUT THE PHONE AWAY!
Even for just a couple of hours! Avoid aimlessly scrolling through your social media. Don't try to find your daily pleasures of following the latest trends on Instagram/Tiktok/Facebook etc. Whilst devices are great if you are alone for keeping in touch with friends and family, find some time where you can put the phone away and enjoy some 'me' time.

Below you can see my screen time during the first week of self-isolation. Clearly I was using my phone too much. This week, I will be aiming to cut the screen time in half. These statistics are readily available on your phones.



2. Exercise
Aim for 30 minutes per day. There are a range of resources online. My favourite is Joe Wicks' PE workout, which is great for all abilities. You will feel a lot better after it, trust me!

3. Learn a new skill

Find some time to practice an old skill or learn a new skill. This could be anything from learning a new language, playing a musical instrument or learning some magic tricks. I've recently started to learn how to read and write Thai. 

4. Self-Care
Don't be tempted to sleep all day as this will disrupt your circadian rhythm (psychology students will know!) and can have a damaging impact on your mental and physical well-being. Be sure to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, ensuring that you are not ordering KFC, McDonald's or other fast food establishments every day. Eat enough fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water each day to stay hydrated. Furthermore, it might be a good idea to find some time to get out in the sun. I don't mean by going outside and mixing with the crowds that are not practising social distancing, but if you have a balcony or a garden, allow your body to soak up the rays from the sun to stimulate vitamin D production. Also, you can get some vitamin D from foods such as tuna and salmon. Dr John Campbell explains the link between vitamin D and immunity below in his video.

5. Check up on your family and friends

Whilst I said it is important to put your phone away in #1, it's also important to maintain contact with friends and family, particularly your elderly relatives or people who live alone. Whether that consists of a few short messages or a particularly lengthy phone call, I can tell you from my own view that both are appreciated.

6. Meditation

Meditation is a fantastic way to calm your body if you feel anxious during these times. There are a range of resources available on the internet (or on your phone via the Calm app) which will help make you feel relaxed and ready to take on the day ahead.