Mental health tips, dos and don'ts and advice during the second lockdown

[editor]

This is certainly a thread I'll be consulting in the coming days/weeks but I thought with this advice that was forwarded to me. Please add your own tips!


Mental Health Dos & Don’ts in England’s Second Lockdown


Psychotherapist Noel McDermott has over 25 years-experience in this field, here he looks at the second wave and what we can do to limit the mental health impact of the new restrictions. When we can’t manage the world we are in, here’s some advice on how to manage yourself.



Dos During the Second Lockdown:

• Normalise - Normalisation is a very powerful tool for helping manage uncomfortable feelings about the situation and our possible spike in uncomfortable feelings about the latest spike is also normal. Learn to self sooth and tell yourself that this is understandable and manageable, making sense in this way is very helpful. The first crucial skill to employ with this current wave of infections and restrictions is to acknowledge this is normal for a pandemic. They come in three waves and in the pattern, we are experiencing now. This Autumn/Winter spike was predicted, and we are responding to it. Although being in a pandemic is out of the ordinary for us what is happening is well charted.
• Accept the here and now - Connected to normalisation is acceptance and using the power of here and now thinking. Inevitably our minds will go to the things we feel might be threatened in the future by these new restrictions. The future though, like the pandemic is not something we have the power to change. We have to power to change our experience and management of what is happening right now.
• Be grateful - Write a list of the things you have right now that you are grateful for. When your mind goes to fear about loss in the future remind yourself of what you have right now. Keep coming back to the present moment and finding gratitude.
• Have hope - Utilising hope and faith about the future (accepting without proof that things will turn out ok in the end) will make you feel better. It can’t be overemphasised that making yourself feel better in times of stress through positive psychological and behavioural methods is gold dust. Moving into stress and feelings of threat will be painful and counterproductive at this time. Reducing stress (the actual biggest cause of death) is wholly to be sought after.
• Be helpful - If you are finding yourself in a position where your troubles seem so big you can’t see a way out, try reaching out and helping others. Always in life there is someone who is struggling more than ourselves and helping them gives us two things, perspective and purpose. Perspective, seeing a bigger picture allows us to get out of ourselves in a healthy way.
• Practice meditation - it’s simply one of the best mental health decisions you will ever make… a few minutes a day of mindful breathing to achieve the ability to manage your mind. It’s a no brainer.

Don’ts During the Second Lockdown:

• Drink or drugs – Increasing your alcohol consumption or taking non-prescription drugs at this time will not help. This will not help manage anxiety, stress, depression or sleep issues.
• Isolate yourself from others - Stay in touch with friends, colleagues and family, and talk all this over.
• Buy into the fear – Keep up sensible precautions about infection control and adjust to the new normal, but don’t cancel everything and avoid living! Keep planning for the future and the things you look forward too.

 

[kalidarkone]

My tip re feeding into the fear is that I only take notice of elbows and the ZOE app regarding stats and infection rates.

 

[Sue]

Buy into the fear – Keep up sensible precautions about infection control and adjust to the new normal, but don’t cancel everything and avoid living! Keep planning for the future and the things you look forward too.

Hmm, not quite sure how you can manage not to cancel everything (or have it cancelled for you). Also not sure about planning as that's currently impossible too...

 

[Orang Utan]

My tip re feeding into the fear is that I only take notice of elbows and the ZOE app regarding stats and infection rates.

My tip would be to go further and pay no attention at all to stats and infection rates. Certainly not daily death rates at least. A recipe for continued anxiety

 

[LDC]

Going easy on yourself too. I know it mentions excess alcohol on there, but I think not worrying about that extra glass of wine or whatever, or the few extra pounds you might put on over the winter is also a good idea. That and not setting yourself unrealistic goals (like exercising very day, learning a language, or how to play an instrument...) is also a good plan.

 

[elbows]

I tend to post a lot less stats during periods where we've actually locked down, at least until they demonstrate changing trends/signs of lockdown having the desired result. So dont expect too much from me in November, but cheers for the recognition, it helps fuel my data nerdery. Just not this month. And I wouldnt recommend following that stuff closely at all times unless it really helps put things in perspective.

Find a project, find a skill you want to learn or improve, a creative endeavour or anything non-destructive that can consume a fair chunk of you. I want to look back at lockdowns and be able to say that I acheived something from the difficult circumstances and abundance of time that lockdown provided. May be easier said than done depending on your interests, space, financial circumstances etc.

 

[Pickman's model]

Hmm, not quite sure how you can manage not to cancel everything (or have it cancelled for you). Also not sure about planning as that's currently impossible too...

turn your plans into plots for novels as they won't be useful for anything else

 

[maomao]

Routines. Get up and go to bed at the same time even if you don't normally.

 

[Sue]

Going easy on yourself too. I know it mentions excess alcohol on there, but I think not worrying about that extra glass of wine or whatever, or the few extra pounds you might put on over the winter is also a good idea. That and not setting yourself unrealistic goals (like exercising very day, learning a language, or how to play an instrument...) is also a good plan.

Yeah, my sister keeps saying the same to me -- basically do whatever you need to to get through this as mentally intact as possible and worry about the other stuff then...

 

[frogwoman]

This is a note to myself really but maybe try to avoid arguments about masks, lockdowns etc on social media, or even reading them/reading about them. or too much obsessive stats watching about deaths, unemployment rates and so on

 

[trabuquera]

Don't cancel self-care things f just because you don't have a full hour free for them - obviously an hour is better, but even 10-15 minutes per day out in the fresh air / walking gently / talking on the phone to someone is good for you.

One dose of broadcast news (tv or radio) per day is enough, maybe more than enough - if you get caught up with every bulletin it's anxiety-inducing in itself, whatever the numbers are; and if you then go on to spending hours per day in specialist forums (not this one) chasing up all 'the facts' that's the shortest possible route to conspiraloonery

 

[Pickman's model]

This is certainly a thread I'll be consulting in the coming days/weeks but I thought with this advice that was forwarded to me. Please add your own tips!


Mental Health Dos & Don’ts in England’s Second Lockdown


Psychotherapist Noel McDermott has over 25 years-experience in this field, here he looks at the second wave and what we can do to limit the mental health impact of the new restrictions. When we can’t manage the world we are in, here’s some advice on how to manage yourself.



Dos During the Second Lockdown:

• Normalise - Normalisation is a very powerful tool for helping manage uncomfortable feelings about the situation and our possible spike in uncomfortable feelings about the latest spike is also normal. Learn to self sooth and tell yourself that this is understandable and manageable, making sense in this way is very helpful. The first crucial skill to employ with this current wave of infections and restrictions is to acknowledge this is normal for a pandemic. They come in three waves and in the pattern, we are experiencing now. This Autumn/Winter spike was predicted, and we are responding to it. Although being in a pandemic is out of the ordinary for us what is happening is well charted.
• Accept the here and now - Connected to normalisation is acceptance and using the power of here and now thinking. Inevitably our minds will go to the things we feel might be threatened in the future by these new restrictions. The future though, like the pandemic is not something we have the power to change. We have to power to change our experience and management of what is happening right now.
• Be grateful - Write a list of the things you have right now that you are grateful for. When your mind goes to fear about loss in the future remind yourself of what you have right now. Keep coming back to the present moment and finding gratitude.
• Have hope - Utilising hope and faith about the future (accepting without proof that things will turn out ok in the end) will make you feel better. It can’t be overemphasised that making yourself feel better in times of stress through positive psychological and behavioural methods is gold dust. Moving into stress and feelings of threat will be painful and counterproductive at this time. Reducing stress (the actual biggest cause of death) is wholly to be sought after.
• Be helpful - If you are finding yourself in a position where your troubles seem so big you can’t see a way out, try reaching out and helping others. Always in life there is someone who is struggling more than ourselves and helping them gives us two things, perspective and purpose. Perspective, seeing a bigger picture allows us to get out of ourselves in a healthy way.
• Practice meditation - it’s simply one of the best mental health decisions you will ever make… a few minutes a day of mindful breathing to achieve the ability to manage your mind. It’s a no brainer.

Don’ts During the Second Lockdown:

• Drink or drugs – Increasing your alcohol consumption or taking non-prescription drugs at this time will not help. This will not help manage anxiety, stress, depression or sleep issues.
• Isolate yourself from others - Stay in touch with friends, colleagues and family, and talk all this over.
• Buy into the fear – Keep up sensible precautions about infection control and adjust to the new normal, but don’t cancel everything and avoid living! Keep planning for the future and the things you look forward too.

very surprised there isn't a 'make sure you get out and go for a walk in the park, having any contact with nature is good for you' bit there

 

[Orang Utan]

Going easy on yourself too. I know it mentions excess alcohol on there, but I think not worrying about that extra glass of wine or whatever, or the few extra pounds you might put on over the winter is also a good idea. That and not setting yourself unrealistic goals (like exercising very day, learning a language, or how to play an instrument...) is also a good plan.

Yeah don’t beat yourself up about your own response to the situation

 

[Sue]

Find a project, find a skill you want to learn or improve, a creative endeavour or anything non-destructive that can consume a fair chunk of you. I want to look back at lockdowns and be able to say that I acheived something from the difficult circumstances and abundance of time that lockdown provided. May be easier said than done depending on your interests, space, financial circumstances etc.

See I think that for me that would be even more pressure that i don't need right now. Each to their own and all that though.

 

[editor]

See I think that for me that would be even more pressure that i don't need right now. Each to their own and all that though.

Yeah I thought I'd do all sorts of things during the last lockdown but just about failed in all of them, but I know it's worked for some people.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Do: if your at work out an hour in your work calendar to go to lunch, and just refuse to pickup phones or emails during that time.


Do: Do 10-15 minutes of exercise, preferably walking or running before you start work in the mornings to make the most of the light. This is the hard bit but it will help regulate your day.

Find a project, find a skill you want to learn or improve, a creative endeavour or anything non-destructive that can consume a fair chunk of you. I want to look back at lockdowns and be able to say that I acheived something from the difficult circumstances and abundance of time that lockdown provided. May be easier said than done depending on your interests, space, financial circumstances etc.

Not the best advice sadly, do it if you can but times of stress and close contact with others at home make learning and projects hard. Relaxing during the mental stress of lockdown is also very important.

Learn if you can, accept it if you can't, just take care of yourself first and foremost and don't set yourself up to fail by setting projects you can't do and if you do fumble around to much to complete your projects then don't feel guilty, these are hard times.

 

[Pickman's model]

I want to look back at lockdowns and be able to say that I acheived something from the difficult circumstances and abundance of time that lockdown provided. May be easier said than done depending on your interests, space, financial circumstances etc.

I proved how little work gets you through working from home

 

[elbows]

Yeah I dont think there are too many one size fits all tips in this. I only succeeded on that front he first time because my project was pandemic-related and a continuation of where my brain had already gone for months before lockdown. This time I am trying something non-pandemic related, with music, and will probably fail. But I dont mind falling well short of my goals, just so long as they eat time and I learn something from the failure.

Anyway my advice applies largely to people who are locked down in circumstances where they dont have lots of close contacts with others at home.

 

[Orang Utan]

I had to downgrade my project of watching all of Alfred Hitchcock’s films in chronological order to watching all of Nicolas Cage’s films in chronological order

 

[Pickman's model]

i downgraded my let's listen to all of wagner's operas to let's listen to all of eddie cochran's songs

 

[miss direct]

I try to follow these calendars:

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www.actionforhappiness.org

 

[May Kasahara]

I had to downgrade my project of watching all of Alfred Hitchcock’s films in chronological order to watching all of Nicolas Cage’s films in chronological order

This seems very 2020-appropriate, somehow.

My personal top tips include making your space as nice as possible. Whatever that means for you. So e.g. we've bought more houseplants, I've got myself a weighted blanket, we've moved some pictures around to make our space nicer. None of them big changes, but have made me feel more pleasure from my home, which is important given I'm going to be stuck here for a while.

Also poetry, but I accept that's a very personal thing. Reading and writing it. Writing in my diary. Having a creative outlet, and not worrying about whether it goes anywhere - just to express myself.

 

[Orang Utan]

I love my weighted blanket too

 

[May Kasahara]

Plus, let's not forget copious masturbation

 

[miss direct]

My personal top tips include making your space as nice as possible. Whatever that means for you. So e.g. we've bought more houseplants, I've got myself a weighted blanket, we've moved some pictures around to make our space nicer. None of them big changes, but have made me feel more pleasure from my home, which is important given I'm going to be stuck here for a while.

Totally agree! I have scented candles, fairy lights, and bought a fluffy dark green rug which feels lovely under my feet. Shops like B&M and Wilkos have lots of cheap things like this.

 

[frogwoman]

Try and do/buy something nice for yourself and dont feel guilty about it

 

[LDC]

WTF is a weighted blanket?!

 

[LDC]

Try and do/buy something nice for yourself and dont feel guilty about it

Never feel guilty about anything!

 

[Pickman's model]

WTF is a weighted blanket?!

 

[May Kasahara]

On being helpful, I do find that doing quotidian acts of good helps me feel better about life. E.g. supporting local/indie businesses with purchases, reading and commenting on/sharing good writing in lit mags, supporting my colleagues, sending silly messages/cards/gifts to mates. That's on good days when I feel able to give out. The other useful part of this is accepting those times when I can't, and reminding myself it's okay to pull in.