Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Entertainer shares tips for coping with anxiety
IAN BUNTING
A beloved Coatbridge entertainer has shared his own techniques for coping with anxiety and worry as part of a national campaign to help people look after their mental health.
As someone who hasn’t been able to work due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Edward Reid has said mindfulness has been his saviour as he encouraged people to focus on the things they can control, by “staying in the moment and not worrying about the future”.
Ba c k i n g the Scottish Government’s Clear Your Head initiative, the former Britain’s Got Talent finalist said that making time for small things like staying in touch with people, going for walks and noticing nature has really helped him, as well as kindness and gratitude being a route to staying positive.
Edward said: “Mental health is as important as physical health during lockdown.
“Staying in the moment is something I’ve taught myself over the past couple of years.
“It helped me pre-lockdown and it’s been my saviour over the past four months.
“Being self- employed, all my work has gone so if I think of October, it would be easy for me to go a scary place. Staying in the moment helps me control my worry about what the future holds.
“The things that work for me are focusing on your breath, and using all your senses to ground you in the moment; it’s something I practice every day.
“Kindness and gratitude is also so important. A lot of the things we took for granted prior to lockdown have been taken away from us, and it’s easy to feel frustrated and angry, but that’s a negative road.
“So I try to focus on the good; my health, friends and family and my home.”
The Clear Your Head website – clearyourhead.scot – has more practical tips as well as signposting helplines for those who need to talk to someone, including NHS24, Breathing Space, SAMH and the Samaritans.
For further information, contact Smarts on 07967 503 912 or health@ smarts.agency.