The current physical reach of the COVID-19 pandemic within the population, is evidently having long-term implications in terms of socio-economic and psychological impact. The swift rise of fear and anxiety among people has risen from the uncertainty of the disease, along with the essential yet socially disruptive measures like the worldwide lockdown and quarantine procedures. Factors such as loneliness, being forced to stay away from family and friends, misinformation on social media and financial insecurities are just some of the reasons leading to significant psychological disturbances. Mind, Health & Wellbeing Coach Annabel Gold, is used to dealing with and managing mental strain and offers key advice and tips on how best to keep your mind in the best possible condition during this period.

As a mind, health and well-being coach, I have received many questions and enquiries on how to deal effectively with the lockdown. Just months ago, the London lifestyle was very busy. There was music everywhere and no space and time to think at all but the golden question is, who wants to think? Thinking requires silence which the world helps us to run away from. Silence is extremely awkward in a busy world.

For all of us, lockdown will mean different things however, what we all have in common is the faculty of the mind. It is like a garden that we can either choose to tend and cultivate beautiful flowers and useful plants or neglect and allow weeds and bushes to grow. The issue with neglecting our minds is that we will eventually not be in control of it and the whole essence of mental wellbeing, is being able to tame and steer your mind in the direction you want it to go. Lockdown has made it difficult for some of us to avoid ourselves and our mind but can this be helpful and beneficial to us?

Instead of being fearful and anxious about lockdown, here are some helpful activities to do which will promote better mental wellbeing. Although, there is a lot of uncertainty, we can be sure that this time of lockdown will come to an end. Life will get busy again so, how we use this quiet period is our choice.

A time to discover you!

If there's a time to discover, it’s now! A time to sit down with you, unravel and understand the hidden talents, skills and ideas that you have hidden on the inside of you. You won’t know until you search. One of my close friends has recently discovered and unveiled her creative side and is now creating eye catching websites. She found her true way of expression which all started with her just thinking and reflecting about what she likes and writing it down. Writing and vocalising daily thoughts has a positive effect on our wellbeing - it’s like offloading some of the mental baggage we carry. Try carrying out writing sessions for up to 10 - 30 minutes every week or even everyday. You can sit down comfortably in a quiet spot and simply write whatever is coming to your mind as soon as it comes in. It doesn't matter if it does not seem to make much sense, do not judge the thought just write it. No phones, no music, just you, a pen and paper. This will help you to see the many thoughts that enter your mind daily and weekly.

Laugh, laugh and do some more laughing

Laughter is scientifically proven to positively alter dopamine and serotonin activity, which is why it is used in therapy as a noninvasive, non-pharmacological alternative treatment for stress and depression alternatives. Discover the things that make you laugh and take a dose of laughing everyday! You could try video calling the most funniest person in your life or get a family member who lives with you to tickle you.

Think & express gratitude

Take 10 minutes a day to sit in a quiet spot. This can be in a quiet room in your house, just outside your house door or garden if you have one. Look towards the sky and focus all your attention towards the landscape. During this 10 minutes, there is no phone, no music, no one else, just you!

Give!

In this time, the temptation for many is to store up and hoard but, no matter what position you are in, there is always something that you can give to another! In giving, you will be helping someone else and contributing to the life of another. Being a helper to another is rewarding and makes us feel useful.

Try to:

Give someone 5 -10 minutes of your undivided attention daily.
Give or donate at least £1 to a charity, it could go a long way.
Give someone a call of care.
Give someone a message of appreciation.

For those working from home, you may have felt like things have gotten louder despite the world being quieter. The demand to be on your laptop and work phone is higher and can be overwhelming. One of my clients who has been working from home during lockdown expressed feeling trapped and restricted initially. After having a telephone session with her, we noticed that all her attention was on what she couldn’t do and this was causing her to feel very anxious. So we engaged her mind towards what she can do while at home and one of the ‘can do’ activities, was going for walks around the garden which she expressed is refreshing and allows a sense of mental freedom. Another one was, focusing on an area in her life that needed improvement. She decided on ‘better skin’ and has been using some of her time to research and put together ways on how she can personally improve her skin.

Spontaneous Saturday!

Your Monday to Friday has likely been filled with routine which is very necessary, but why not change it for the weekend and just do whatever comes to your heart in that moment - absolutely no planning allowed. What’s the worst that could happen?

Healthcare professionals

If you are a healthcare professional, you probably receive numerours praises and gratitude from those around you daily however, you still have to deal with the daily pressure that comes from putting vulnerable individuals before yourself. As well as there always being a physical health risk, the amount of emotional and mental strain would be very heavy I’d imagine.

According to Sood (2020), Healthcare workers have a high risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder and burnout in this time. It is highly important that the mental well-being is protected and enhanced through timely breaks. The BPS (British Psychological Society, 2020) recently published a guidance template on the psychological needs of healthcare staff as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the guided steps given, was having a communication strategy through actively encouraging expression of concerns and fears. I agree and believe it is very important that professionals have the space and time to offload the experiences that they have gone through in a working day.

Students

A recent study showed that the coronavirus pandemic brought about severe anxiety in college students, especially those who came from rural areas and households with low income. For the student who has to continue school online, it is likely that finding consistent focus and concentration.

School, college or Uni work would be very difficult especially when having no supervision or demand for accountability like you would in the learning environment. We cannot ignore the students whose only hope of getting connected to the internet was by going into the study library. It is not a surprise then that at this time of lockdown, students' anxiety levels would increase.

Why not try to create a group on Zoom with some of your close student peers and hold each other accountable. At the end of the day report back to each other regarding what you have studied or submitted that day. This forum can be used to express struggles and what is helping you. With this hub, you won’t feel as isolated.

I believe that after the lockdown and post COVID-19, our world will not be the same. Many organisations and us as individuals would have changed and adjusted either positively or negatively. Unfortunately, some may not have the strength and ability to cope with life because they allowed their mind to get the better of them, instead of being in control. There is hope for everyone who chooses to take the steering wheel of their mind. If we can take this lockdown as an opportunity to face our inner thoughts and issues that we usually run away and hide from, we will have much more control and the ability to effectively cope, not just with this period but other unexpected circumstances that may arise in the future.

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More Time in Lockdown: Open up to Perfect Wellbeing

WOTC Magazine

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More Time in Lockdown: Open up to Perfect Wellbeing

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WOTC Magazine