Looking after your mental health through*checks notes* another lockdown

So...here we are again. Everyone was looking forward to watching the new James Bond film in a socially distanced cinema, and then came the announcement of the year’s least popular sequel: Lockdown 2 - No Time to Gather. 

Yet again, everyone in England must stay at home until at least 2nd December, unless they are going outside for a few specific reasons. Everyone is responding to these new weeks of quarantine differently, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Many people across the country haven’t known restrictions like these in their lifetimes, and we are all still adapting to them. The spring saw about a decade’s worth of stress condense into three months. The pandemic’s continuation into the winter is placing even more strain on everyone. 

Here are a few ideas for looking after your mental health as we lock down again. 

Socially distance from everything except your diary 

Historians will reflect on February 2020 as a time when people still had schedules. People went to work at a certain time, got home at certain time and their lives followed the same routine each week. Then Covid happened. Commutes to the office were replaced by somewhat shorter commutes from the kitchen to the spare room. Active routines were replaced by hours of staring at Zoom screens, and the most exciting moment of each day tended to revolve around trying to take yourself off mute on video calls. 

While you’re working from home, it’s important to keep as much of your usual structure as you possibly can. Using your diary to arrange (virtual) catch-ups and walks with your friends will help you to keep a similar balance between your work life and your social life to the one you had before the pandemic. If you used to go for a jog or enjoy a yoga session before breakfast each morning, add that to your new schedule too. 

This will give you a sense of normality and control over your activities, despite everything that’s going on in the world. It will also allow you to make sure that you’ve got at least one thing to look forward to every day. 

Make the most of nature

Did you take going outside for granted? During our pre-lockdown lives, we got so used to travelling wherever we wanted to that we often forgot to appreciate our surroundings. Find a spot in your area that makes you happy and make sure that you spend some time there during this lockdown. Cute squirrels are great at gnawing on any stress that you were feeling before your walk. 

You might also want to grow some plants on your windowsills. Caring for something and seeing it blossom because of your care is such a rewarding experience. Plus, a room full of colourful plants looks amazing and will make you smile every day. 

Mute your notifications 

While it’s always nice to hear from people, nobody needs their phone pinging every five minutes – especially when they’re working from home. Is responding to a comment on your LinkedIn post more important than turning around a crucial project for a long-term client? We thought not. 

Don’t consume media that’s making you anxious 

Spend your time streaming and reading things that make you happy. If you prefer to stay off social media completely and only catch-up on news headlines now and again – that's completely understandable. If regularly following the headlines reassures you that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, then tweet away by all means. 

It can be so easy to feel as if you’ve got no choice but to talk about headlines or politics because everyone else is, particularly on business networking calls. In these circumstances try and turn the conversation to people’s lockdown hobbies. Conversations about baking will never become tense (unless someone mentions scones). 

Just do what works for you. Everyone is having to cope with huge challenges at the moment. It’s OK to ask for help if you need it. If you’re looking for someone to talk to about what you’re going through, you can contact any of the following organisations in complete confidence. 

Samaritans – Phone 116 223 (lines are open 24/7) or email jo@samaritans.org

Mind – Phone 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 or email info@mind.org.uk

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) - phone 0800 58 58 58 (lines are open 5pm to midnight every day) or use their webchat here.