Keeping fit mentally in lockdown
ANDREA LAMBROU
It’s normal to be feeling stressed, anxious and scared right now – most of us haven’t experienced anything like this before.
No matter how much we want it, we can’t get a sense of certainty right now.
And because there aren’t any answers, our anxiety is likely to be high. Just know this: it’s OK not to feel OK.
Anxiety brings with it lots of different physical feelings. This can include a racing heart, chest pain, sweatiness and a shortness of breath.
All of these are very normal.
NHS Lanarkshire’s Psychological Services have issued helpful advice about managing anxiety as a result of the ongoing coronavirus situation.
They also want to remind people of the importance of looking after their own and others’ mental health during this stressful time.
Director of Psychological Services, Dr Gary Tanner, explained: “The first thing to say is that it’s perfectly normal to be feeling stressed or anxious right now.
“The vast majority of us will never have experienced anything like this before.
“But there are small steps we can each take which can help us cope much better with anxious thoughts and feelings.”
Some steps you can take to manage stress/anxiety:
• Learn how to breathe which can make a big difference. There’s an excellent, short technique you can try at nhs.uk/ conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/ ways-relieve-stress/. There are also some recordings of helpful exercises at the website stresscontrolaudio.com.
• The key thing is to be kind to yourself. Try to eat healthily. Take some exercise if you can. Stick to a sleep routine. Pace yourself. Take time to do the things you enjoy. Watch, read, listen. Play games. Look after yourself.
• Be kind to others, too. Doing this makes us feel good about ourselves as well.
• Stay in touch with people you like and trust if you can. If you’re socially distancing or you’re having to self-isolate, reach out by phone, message or video call.
• Use trusted sources for information and avoid constant use of social media.
• Remember that alcohol and drugs are never good coping strategies. Even if they feel it in the short term, they very quickly cause problems to mount up.
For those currently seeing an NHS Lanarkshire mental health professional, teams will keep you updated about any changes to appointments.
The NHS Lanarkshire Psychologists’ guidance can be found online at nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/novelcorona-virus-covid-19/managinganxiety/
Remember that GPs and other NHS staff are likely to be extremely busy right now, and you might find it more difficult to get hold of them.
The nhsinform.scot website is the go-to site for advice. It also has lots more selfhelp tips about managing anxiety and low mood.